John Lyon is north-west London’s leading co-educational, all-through 3 to 18, independent school.
We are proud to serve families in Harrow-on-the-Hill, Harrow, London, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire by offering a world-class School experience for pupils from age 3 in our Little Lyons Nursery to age 18 sitting A-Levels and our Goldhawk Diploma in Sixth Form. John Lyon is a happy, warm and progressive community. The School enjoys a richly deserved reputation for providing an excellent all-round education and outstanding pastoral care. We believe that the opportunities pupils experience through our Academic studies, Extra-curricular, Co-curricular and Excellence Programmes are equally important. Our pupils are equipped with the skills and experiences they will need to help them succeed in life at School and beyond. Pupils in our vibrant and inclusive co-ed environment experience a diverse learning community in which they all thrive. John Lyon School sits within John Lyon’s Foundation, with John Lyon’s Charity – who distribute around £12m in grants to children and young people in London each year – and alongside the Harrow Family of Schools, which includes Harrow School and Harrow International Schools around the world. Pupils benefit from these close links and regularly take part in Harrow Family of Schools events such as international exchange trips, sports tours, competitions, conferences and lessons streamed with partner schools. Staff collaborate with colleagues all over the world to develop best practice and exchange ideas and resources. We are proud to be part of this diverse and innovative global educational community. We embrace technology and put it at the forefront of all that we do to enhance learning and collaborative working. As a ‘Microsoft Showcase School’, we are one of a small number of UK schools that are part of a global community of schools engaged in educational digital transformation. We admit pupils at 3+, 4+ and 7+ in our Prep School and 11+, 13+ and 16+ in our Senior School. Whilst we have a growing waiting list, we can accept new joiners for occasional places mid-year or during a nonstandard entry point when spaces become available.
Admissions. John Lyon offers a broad education to pupils who aspire to achieve excellence in all they do. As such, the admissions procedure is designed both to reveal applicants’ ability as well as to judge their potential. The School offers places to able young pupils who have a great attitude to learning combined with a desire to be the best that they can be.
Pupils typically join John Lyon in either Nursery from the age of 3 or Reception Year, in Year 7, 9 and Sixth Form. However, some children do join us at other stages, and we are always pleased to welcome them. We are proud to serve families largely from a northwest London catchment area, including the Boroughs of Harrow, Hillingdon, Ealing, Brent, Barnet, Camden, Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham, as well parts of Middlesex, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
Nursery (age 3) and Reception (4+) candidates are assessed for how they interact with others, their communication and language skills. Year 7 (11+) selection is based on English and Mathematics examinations, participation in a group activity and an interview. Year 9 (13+) selection includes examinations in English, Mathematics, French and Science, as well as an interview with the Head. Sixth Form (16+) entry is by interview and results at GCSE.
Pastoral care. The School is very much a family school where children are always our highest priority and where teachers and other staff operate an open-door policy. Our pastoral care is of paramount importance to us and our approach is rooted in a strong sense of community based on the belief that happy children can achieve great things.
Prep School Curriculum. Time inside the classroom forms the basis of all we do with a broad and inspiring academic focused curriculum taught by expert teachers. We believe in a traditional education, delivered by specialist teachers with access to excellent resources, and backed by strong IT, giving children access to the wider world at their fingertips. With an emphasis on achievement, all children can work at their own speed, to be challenged to move to the next level and receive all the necessary support to do so, and to work individually in pairs and in groups. Our classes help foster interesting and interested children, confident in using the knowledge they have learned and ready to move to secondary education.
Senior School Curriculum. The academic curriculum is at the heart of every working day forming the core of all the School seeks to achieve as a leading place of learning. English, Mathematics, the sciences, humanities, creative arts, languages and digital learning form a curriculum designed to educate and inspire, giving knowledge and a desire to want to know more.
Large emphasis is placed on Learning Skills, which apply to all areas of a pupil’s experience and success at John Lyon, both inside and outside the classroom. With a focus on reading, the chance to work on extra projects and through the wide range of activities on offer, Learning Skills enhance each pupil’s communication, self-reflection and evaluation, logical and critical thinking, independent learning, academic writing and transferable skills.
John Lyon is also a proudly digital school, recognised as one of the leading 50 digital innovation schools in the UK and praised for its use of technology in the classroom to enhance learning outcomes. A School Managed Device policy means all students have a laptop or tablet with them during the School day, allowing them to access content and complete assessed work online while taking more ownership and responsibility for their learning. Pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 follow a Digital Learning curriculum beginning with essential skills such as online safety training to understand how to use the internet and digital technology responsibly.
Scholarships. All pupils who take the 11+ or 13+ entrance examination will be considered for an Academic Scholarship. Their performance in the examination, their school reference and their interview will all be taken into consideration. Sixth Form Scholarships are awarded dependent on GCSE results. The School also awards a small number of Scholarships to candidates of outstanding ability and potential in Drama, Music, Sport, Art and STEAM.
Bursaries. In line with the purpose of the School at its founding almost 150 years ago, John Lyon remains committed to widening access for local families. Each year, the School makes available a number of means-tested bursaries to Senior School pupils who demonstrate exceptional talent and potential.
School Buildings. The Prep School Campus has first rate facilities including a swimming pool, Art and Design Centre, AstroTurf pitch, ICT suite, modern classrooms with interactive whiteboards, a newly refurbished library and Science Lab, with all the latest equipment. The Prep School also has extensive use of the sport and other facilities at the Senior School.
At our Senior Campus, the main School buildings house the Science and STEAM laboratories, Drama studios, Art studios, gallery and the Boyd Campbell Hall. The Music School has a 120-seat recital hall, a recording studio and eight individual practice studios. The sports complex comprises a 25-metre indoor swimming pool, fitness studio and sports hall.
Games. A floodlit multi-use games area allows for all-weather Hockey and Tennis at the 25-acre Sudbury Playing Fields, a short distance from both the Prep and Senior School sites. There are four main Cricket squares, seven Football pitches, a challenge course, pavilion and Archery range. Pupils also use sporting facilities at Harrow School including Cricket nets, Athletics track, nine-hole Golf course, Tennis, Squash and Badminton courts.
Within the Prep School there are a wide range of sporting activities which make up the PE and Games programme. All pupils in the Prep School take part in a carousel of activities ranging from Swimming, Athletics, and Fitness as well as specialist sports including Hockey, Football, Netball and Cricket.
At the Senior School the main sports are Association Football and Hockey in the Autumn and Spring Terms, and Cricket, Athletics, Tennis and Swimming in the Summer Term, supported by Badminton, Basketball, Archery, Water Polo, Golf and other games.
Co-Curricular Programme. On Friday afternoons Senior School pupils put their Academic timetables to one side and participate in abroad, engaging and fascinating Co-Curricular Programme.
The Co-Curricular Programme offers something different to pupils beyond the classroom and is aimed at developing a sense of achievement, wellbeing and enjoyment, while gaining practical skills and engaging with the eight School Values. The John Lyon Co-Curricular Programme is an important and integral part of the School timetable and wider School life, designed to add to pupil learning and introduce pupils to exciting new ideas and opportunities, which will help them in School, outside School and beyond into higher education and the workplace.
Extra-Curricular. At the Prep School clubs are offered from an early age, with many extra-curricular opportunities, with children being encouraged to take part in at least one extra-curricular activity per term from a wide variety offered including Bollywood dance, taekwondo, chess, tennis, orchestra and more. These opportunities are designed to broaden each child’s learning experience and to develop their talents, skills and interests.
At the Senior School extra-curricular sports practices, clubs and activities are a much-loved element of School life, aimed at encouraging curiosity, furthering knowledge and nurturing passions outside the timetable. The School's extra-curricular activities are second to none and allow every pupil to flourish as an individual. John Lyon believes that options beyond the classroom are essential to balance the learning in class. They help pupils build resilience, teamwork and leadership, and are seen by many as a distinguishing feature on a university application form and then on a CV. But above all, a well-rounded pupil is a happy pupil. John Lyon typically offers more than 100 clubs and societies every week that provide a wealth of experiences and opportunities to every pupil.
Forest School. Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 enjoy exciting and educational weekly Forest School sessions. A purpose-built area has been created at John Lyon’s playing fields at Sudbury for the children to use. We have two specialist Forest School teachers who take the two-hour lessons, with the support of Prep School teachers.
Our Forest School is multi-sensory. Children engage in new activities and build a huge range of core skills, including developing confidence, communication, teamwork, leadership and resilience. They take part in a variety of different activities, encouraging them to take risks within a supportive environment. Children also have the opportunity to gain knowledge, learning about different birds, trees and nature more broadly, whilst spending time outdoors in the fresh air and enjoying sessions with their friends and classmates.
Charity and Community. The charitable ethos that has run through John Lyon since its founding in 1876 shows no sign of slowing, and this generation of pupils, like their predecessors, engage in numerous charitable and community projects, giving time and raising money for projects in Harrow and beyond.
John Lyon’s public benefit objectives are to support the wider community through the sharing of expertise and facilities in Sport, the arts and academia. The School has strong links with schools in the maintained sector, who regularly join events; facilities are used by local schools and community groups; pupils raise significant sums for local, national and international charities; access to a John Lyon education is widened through scholarship and bursary awards; and pupils are seen out in the community all year round, giving their time to local initiatives.
The School is part of John Lyon's Foundation, an educational foundation also consisting Harrow School and John Lyon’s Charity. The Foundation aims to maximise the opportunities for children and young people by enabling them to realise their potential, broaden their horizons and ultimately enable them to experience and enjoy a better quality of life.
Careers. Specialist advice concerning entrance to Higher Education is given and there is a team of specialists in the Sixth Form Centre to offer guidance and support with UCAS, university choices, Oxbridge preparation and careers.
Entry to University. University destinations included a broad range of Russell Group universities such as Oxford, Durham, Warwick and Imperial, and especially institutions within the University of London, notably UCL and KCL.
The Lyonian Association. All pupils leaving the School become life members of the Association. The Association has shared use of the School’s sports ground and its own pavilion at Sudbury Fields.
Charitable status. The Keepers and Governors of the Free Grammar School of John Lyon is a Registered Charity, number 310033.
Governors & Staff:
Governors:
Mr Giles Goodfellow, KC, MA, LLM (Chairman)
Mr Neil Enright, MA Oxon, MBA, NPQH, FRSA [OL] (Deputy Chairman)
Mrs Catherine Southgate, B Bus, Acc FCA
Mr Matthew L S Judd, BA Hons, FRGS
Mr Liam Halligan, MPhil Econ, BSc Hons [OL]
Mrs Kay Burnaby, MRICS
Professor John Greenwood, PhD, FRCPath
Mr Simon Flamank, FCA [OL]
Professor Derek Gilroy, PhD
Mr Chinmay M Gupte, PhD, FRCS Tr& Orth, MA, BMBCh Oxon [OL]
Mr Richard Henley, BA Hons, TP BPL MRTPI [OL]
Mrs Joanne Owens, LLB Hons
Mr Anup Vyas, LLB Hons [OL]
Mr Richard Winter CBE, FCA
Mr James Caldecourt, BA Hons, MA [OL]
Dr Meg Minasian, MBBS, FRCOphth
Clerk to the Board of Governors: The Hon Andrew Millett, MA [OL]
[OL] Old Lyonian
Head: Mrs Rose Hardy, MA Oxon, Med
Head of Prep: Mrs S Chatrath, MSC Leicester
Senior Deputy Head: Mr A Sims, MA, MEng Cantab
Deputy Heads:
Mr T Lewis, MA, MEng Cantab (Academic)
Ms J E Mannion, MA, London, MA UEA (Pastoral)
Assistant Heads:
Mr J C Rowe, MA UAE, NPQH FCIE (Assistant Head Wellbeing & Designated Safeguarding Lead)
Mr R C Lokier, BA Cantab (Assistant Head Academic)
Dr F Weinberg, BSc, MSc, PhD Imperial (Assistant Head Admissions & Scholars)
Head of Sixth Form: Ms J Livesey, MA UCL
Director of Finance: Mrs T Dovey, FCCA
Director of Marketing & Communications: Mr J Suchak, BA Hertfordshire, MCIM
Head of HR: Mrs N Bonomo, BA Hons, Assoc CIPD