St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 4 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Alvaston Street, Alvaston, Derby, DE24 0PAOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school in Derby for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 116 schools in Derby. It ranks 48th of 86 primary schools in Derby. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in October 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 24 October 2023, report published 3 December 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 24 October 2023

St John Fisher is a warm and welcoming school. Pupils enjoy their learning and are happy. They feel safe. Pupils behave sensibly in class and around the school. Children learn the routines they need to follow as soon as they join the school. This helps them to be ready for learning. Staff, including those in the early years, are ambitious for what they want pupils to achieve. Pupils show respect towards staff and each other. They are polite and well mannered. They enjoy their lessons. Pupils work hard and are proud of the high- quality work they produce. At lunchtimes, pupils make good use of the library. They can also attend Lego club, languages club and maths club. There are residential visits for older pupils. Pupils develop leadership skills through being reading champions, eco-champions and school councillors. Parents and carers value the work that the school does to support their children. One parent stated, 'I would highly recommend this school to any other parent. I'm so glad my children have such a wonderful environment to be in whilst getting their education. I cannot thank the teachers and other staff enough for all they do'.

What the school should improve

  • Most subject curriculums are well planned and sequenced with the key knowledge pupils need to know identified. Core subjects are implemented well. However, in some foundation subjects, the planned curriculums are not as well implemented. As a result, teaching does not sharply focus on the key knowledge pupils need to learn. Some pupils do not achieve as well in these subjects. The school should ensure that teachers have the expertise to deliver the intended curriculum in all subjects.
  • The school does not yet provide a sufficiently wide range of opportunities outside of the academic curriculum. As a result, the school does not always nurture, develop and stretch pupils' talents and interests as well as it should. Leaders should ensure that all pupils can access a wide range of opportunities outside of the academic curriculum.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

33 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths61%

61%, 1 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths6%

6%, 2 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score105

105, 1 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score102

102, 3 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score104

104, 1 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

179 pupils on roll, with places for 230

Eligible for free school meals21.2%

21.2%, 5.3 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language34.6%

34.6%, 13 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support14%

14%, 0.8 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan3.4%

3.4%, 2.6 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Alvaston Junior Academy0.3 milesOfsted: Requires improvement41% met the expected standard
Alvaston Infant and Nursery School0.3 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Wyndham Spencer Academy0.6 milesOfsted judgements: Outstanding63% met the expected standard
Oakwood Infant and Nursery School0.7 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Oakwood Junior School0.7 milesOfsted: Good60% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy sponsor led
Sector
Academy
Trust
ST RALPH SHERWIN CATHOLIC MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Age range
4 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mr Graham Lobb
Address
Alvaston Street, Alvaston, Derby, DE24 0PA
Local authority
Derby
URN
138514

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.