[5][6] Although exhibiting strength across all subject areas, as a choir school St John's is particularly successful in music.

[7] The school is believed to have been founded in 1661 with the appointment of "Mr Loosemore" to act as organist and for "lerning the choristers".

The 22nd Master of St John's, Bishop Gunning, gave money to support the 'maintenance of some singing youths'.

[2] In the early 1950s, owing partly to financial pressures, St John's College considered closing the school.

However, the then organist George Guest opined that this would be detrimental to the future of the choir and urged the college to reconsider.