St James Senior Girls’ School

Kensington Olympia  I  259 Pupils  I  11-18 Years Girls

At St James, We offer an enlightened education that nurtures mind, body and spirit, all within a happy environment where learning and personal development go hand-in-hand.

Founded in 1975, we are an independent day school for girls aged 11-18 located in Kensington Olympia and easily accessible via our school coaches and the tube, train or bus network. We are a two-form entry school, welcoming girls into Year 7 from our own prep school alongside those who transfer from other schools following the 11+ process. Our teachers are, first and foremost, specialists in their subjects, but they are also dedicated to supporting the wellbeing and development of our pupils.  Indeed, positive relationships permeate our school, and we are proud of the camaraderie that exists amongst the pupil body and between students and staff.

“The main factors behind pupils’ excellent achievement are the high quality of teaching, which is intellectually rigorous, resulting in enjoyable, but often challenging lessons, and the suitability of the curriculum, which provides sufficient breadth and depth for very able girls.” Independent Schools Inspectorate

Our curriculum is carefully planned to ensure our pupils experience a broad range of subjects.  From the starting point in Year 7, they will typically go on to focus on nine subjects at GCSE and three at A level.

“…offers an excellent crack of the academic whip in a supportive intellectual environment.”
The Good Schools Guide

Pupils are offered a wide range of co-curricular opportunities and clubs, including art, classics, cookery, creative writing, dance, drama, Female Lead, football, karate, lacrosse, netball, LAMDA, STEM, and zoology.  Years 7–12 enjoy an annual Activity Week at a variety of locations within and outside the UK. There are also optional trips to Berlin and Iceland as well as skiing or sporting excursions.  Our location in London enables us to offer pupils many opportunities for cultural enrichment with visits to historical sites, art galleries, concerts and the theatre.

Our on-site sports facilities include a spacious playground and gymnasium, and there is an excellent selection of outdoor facilities within a 15-minute coach journey for pupils to pursue our main sports of netball, lacrosse, athletics and football.  In addition, cross country, handball, gymnastics, rounders, cricket, tennis and volleyball remain ever popular.   There is also an annual Sports Week during which pupils take part in a range of different sports and coaching sessions and hear presentations from high profile sportswomen.  Participation in competitive sports all the way up to international level is actively encouraged and facilitated.

Our excellent pastoral provision equips pupils with strategies to develop their own mental health and nurture emotional resilience.  This focus on health is complemented by us being a vegetarian school; we are proud of our delicious and nutritious menus that are carefully planned across the week and which comprise food freshly prepared each day in our state of the art kitchens.

Our broad curriculum and wide range of co-curricular learning opportunities are designed to challenge the bright young minds in our care and to provide them with the means and encouragement to pursue their individual passions.  All the while, we support our pupils’ emotional wellbeing through a focus on mindfulness and by fostering a school atmosphere built on mutual respect and trust.

It is an approach that results in young women who balance academic achievement with emotional resilience; who are self-disciplined and self-aware but also socially confident and blessed with generosity of spirit; secure in themselves and ready to take their place in the world.

“The school provides an incredibly supportive structure, this was especially so in the pandemic. The school was very empathetic in a difficult time and I cannot praise the teachers enough. The leadership shown by Mrs Labram and the teachers is incredible. I liked the continuous engagement with the student community. It was very important. It starts from the top and Mrs Labram exemplified that. Because the school is small, it has a community familial environment. Girls don’t get lost.”  Parent of GCSE student

The school will hold Open Events on 4th May and in Autumn 2022 – please book at www.stjamesgirls.co.uk

St James Senior Girls’ School (member of GSA and ISA)
Admissions: 020 7348 1748
admissions@sjsg.org.uk | www.stjamesgirls.co.uk