Saint James School

As a student who has transferred from Saint James School, I'd like to share some personal experiences for your reference. The school is a Church school, and religious activities and disciplinary management are very strictly enforced. Students are required to attend Chapel daily, and there are fixed arrangements for weekends. Violations usually result in weekend labor. Academically, some teachers are diligent and responsible, but overall academic support is not consistently strong, office hours offer limited practical help, and grading is quite strict. Accommodation conditions differ from what was understood before admission; maintenance and hygiene need improvement. The school's geographical location is remote, limiting student choices, and psychological support resources are relatively insufficient. Families without a religious background or those who prioritize academic support and mental health are advised to evaluate carefully.

I am the previous anonymous user. Due to character limits, I will continue to add more details separately. Even if you have no religious belief, you must stay in the church for at least twenty minutes every day, and participate for two hours on weekends. If you are late once or twice, the school will assign you over four hours of labor tasks (weekend work). The school only has one cleaning staff, so almost all weekend cleaning tasks are assigned to students. After learning that I applied for a transfer, they even assigned me to clean a teacher's garden on the weekend, working from 6 AM until the afternoon. Even in heavy rain, I had to dig soil bit by bit with a shovel. The school calls this “building character,” but in reality, it is an oppression of students' freedom and well-being. The school's so-called strictness is built upon high pressure and forced labor, not genuine educational management.
Academically, I admit I have encountered some responsible teachers, but most teachers are irresponsible for students' learning and grades. The school claims to have office hours, but when you genuinely need help, teachers usually do not provide guidance, and grading is extremely strict, requiring students to figure out many concepts on their own. I personally witnessed a teacher tearing up a student's book in class and telling him to “get out,” and repeatedly heard teachers using English slurs against students, such as the n-word and f-word. This behavior not only severely damages the students' learning experience but also undermines campus psychological safety.

As a transfer student, I hope more people see this review, and I say this very seriously: I do not recommend Saint James School to anyone. If you are considering coming here, please read my experience below carefully. When I visited the campus before enrolling, I only noticed the beautiful scenery, abundant sunshine, and teachers who seemed friendly and responsible. Even as a visitor entering each classroom, students would stand up and smile. I learned that it was a Church school, and after the admissions officer told me that even non-religious individuals could integrate into the school, I resolutely chose it. I originally thought that strict management in a school with a religious background was reasonable, but the reality turned out to be completely different. The school's ethos is extremely poor; the management's focus is entirely not on student fairness and mental health, but rather on exerting extremely strict control over mandatory daily Chapel attendance and mobile phone management.

SJS is an Anglican boarding co-ed school, generally good, with strict management, but all for the children's benefit. Children may not easily understand this management style, which is why some students on Niche rate SJS not very high. Overall, the happiness level of SJS students is rated lower than that of SMS. Both are Anglican boarding schools, and SMS also considers students' well-being in all aspects, being strict where necessary, for example, teachers require mobile phones to be handed in during class, self-study, and breaks, but the children are very happy.