St John’s School was founded by the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary in 1897 as a boarding school for delicate children. In its long history of Special education the school has helped boys with ophthalmic difficulties, cardiac illness, respiratory diseases and learning difficulties meeting each of these needs as they emerged up to 1970, when the school was closed for refurbishment. It reopened in January 1972 as a day school for boys and girls with moderate / severe learning difficulties with additional language disorders.