• St John's is caring, positive and child focused, and aims to offer the best of both worlds: happiness in school life and strong personal achievement.

• Will suit families seeking an Essex day school where children can stay within one community for many years and be known as individuals rather than numbers.

Admissions at St John's School are family facing and should appeal to parents who want a Billericay co-educational day school with a broad age range and a strong emphasis on happiness as well as achievement. It should suit families who value continuity from early years into the senior stage in a school that stresses individual care.

Scholarships and bursaries may well form part of the St John's admissions picture, especially at senior entry, and families should ask directly about current categories and fee support. For many parents the key attraction will be the school's promise of continuity and individual attention rather than awards alone.

The overall picture is warm, encouraging and student centred, with the school's emphasis on happiness, achievement and individual potential shaping much of the message. Parents should still visit because the decisive question is whether the tone feels genuinely ambitious enough for their child while preserving that caring atmosphere.