John Blow Primary School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 4 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Snowdon Road, Collingham, Newark, NG23 7PTOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

John Blow Primary School is a primary school in Newark for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 364 schools in Nottinghamshire. It ranks 6th of 26 primary schools in Newark. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 29 March 2023, report published 25 May 2023

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 29 March 2023

Pupils show positive attitudes in this school. They are happy here. Leaders have high expectations for behaviour. They have identified school values to support the school's motto 'be the best you can be'. Pupils know these values. They demonstrate them in lessons and around school. Pupils value the rewards they get when they behave well. They are polite and respectful. Bullying is rare in the school. Most pupils have confidence that, if it does happen, their teachers will deal with it quickly and effectively. Leaders ensure that pupils know who to talk to about any concerns. Pupils say that they feel safe in the school. They enjoy positive relationships with teachers and other adults. Pupils enjoy attending clubs, such as cooking, dancing, Lego and crafts. Parents value the opportunities for their children to attend clubs before and after school. Pupils have opportunities to learn to play a wide range of musical instruments, such as clarinet, flute, guitar, drums and piano. They enjoy singing and performing in collaboration with other schools.

What the school should improve

  • Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is successfully implemented in all subjects. Sometimes, teachers do not set work that follows the planned curriculum, in the right order. This means that pupils do not always learn the key curriculum content when they should. Leaders need to ensure that the work set for pupils consistently reflects the aims and ambition of the curriculum, so that pupils can successfully build sequential knowledge and skills over time.
  • Teachers' use of assessment is inconsistent. In some subjects, teachers' checks do not always focus on the important knowledge identified in the curriculum. In some other subjects, teachers' checks do not accurately identify pupils' misconceptions. Leaders should ensure that assessment is used effectively to check pupils' understanding and inform teaching.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

27 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths70%

70%, 8 percentage points above the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths11%

11%, 3 percentage points above the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score106

106, the same as the England average.

Maths, average scaled score106

106, 1 above the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score108

108, 3 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

192 pupils on roll, with places for 210

Eligible for free school meals18.2%

18.2%, 8.3 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language1.6%

1.6%, 20 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support8.9%

8.9%, 5.9 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan2.1%

2.1%, 3.9 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near John Blow Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Swinderby All Saints Church of England Primary School2 milesOfsted: Good67% met the expected standard
Muskham Primary School3 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Winthorpe Primary School3 milesOfsted: Good67% met the expected standard
North Scarle Primary School3 milesOfsted judgements: GoodNot published
Sutton-On-Trent Primary and Nursery School3 milesOfsted: Good64% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Community school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
4 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mr Ben Carver
Address
Snowdon Road, Collingham, Newark, NG23 7PT
Local authority
Nottinghamshire
URN
122631

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.