St John's Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 June 2026

Pupils enjoy coming to this nurturing community school. Staff greet the pupils warmly at the start of each day with a smile. Pupils' wellbeing is a high priority. This gives pupils a sense of belonging. Staff know pupils so well. This helps pupils share their worries with staff freely. They know that all staff will do what they can to help them. Incidents of poor behaviour, including bullying, are rare. Pupils feel safe and well cared for. Relationships between staff and pupils are respectful. Over a period of time, pupils have not come to school regularly enough. However, leaders have taken decisive action to improve this. As a result, pupils attend school far more regularly than they did and this continues to improve. Pupils work hard and show an interest in their learning, but some do not achieve as well as they should. Staff do not identify gaps or misunderstandings in pupils' knowledge accurately. Consequently, these gaps persist and hinder some pupils in securing important knowledge. In addition, some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not consistently get the support that they need to progress well. In the early years, children's communication and language are prioritised. Adult interactions with children are celebratory and encouraging. However, children experience an inconsistent approach when staff model new vocabulary for them. Opportunities for children to practise their communication and language skills are not regular enough to be fully effective. Pupils benefit from varied opportunities to explore and learn beyond the classroom. These experiences, alongside visitors in to school, enrich the curriculum that pupils learn. This is particularly true with regards to swimming, which every child does weekly in the on-site pool. Pupils’ understanding of the many different faiths and world views that exist in modern Britain is well-developed. For example, through visiting different local places of worship. Pupils have an appropriate awareness of fundamental British values, and this prepares them well for life beyond school.

What the school should improve

• Leaders need to further develop staff expertise in checking and deepening pupils understanding in lessons so that pupils can consistently understand and use what they have been taught.
• Leaders should embed the recent changes in the provision to appropriately support pupils with SEND across the curriculum, ensuring that the right adaptations and guidance are in place.
• Leaders need to further develop and embed their approaches to addressing gaps in pupils’ foundational knowledge.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)