St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Colchester

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

Clay Lane Grove, St Johns C of E Primary School, Colchester, CO4 0HHOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Colchester is a primary school in Colchester for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 604 schools in Essex. It ranks 14th of 69 primary schools in Colchester. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in May 2013.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 22 May 2013, report published 13 June 2013

Overall effectiveness
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 October 2022

This is a welcoming school. Pupils are proud to be part of the St John's community, and their behaviour is good. They are conscious of the school's values of courage, peace, hope, faith, respect and compassion in all that they do. Parents are positive about the school. Staff have high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve. Pupils respond with positivity to the work that their teachers prepare for them. In the main, they achieve well. Children in the early years also make the most of their time in school, learning new knowledge and skills. Pupils make a full contribution to school life. They enjoy the many jobs that they have in school, such as being members of the Green Team. At breaktime and lunchtime, pupils play sensibly together. Older pupils are proud of the work that they do to help pupils to feel welcomed and make friends. Year 6 play leaders organise games for younger pupils to play. They are positive role models. Pupils are confident that when rare incidents of bullying occur, adults take quick and effective action to sort them out.

What the school should improve

  • In some subjects, such as PE and DT, the precise skills and knowledge that pupils learn do not always build on their previous learning. Therefore, pupils do not always make strong progress in these subjects. Leaders should revisit planning in these curriculum areas to ensure that pupils' knowledge and skills are carefully sequenced and that pupils acquire the skills required in a logical and sequential manner.
  • Some subject leaders have not had the opportunity to regularly visit lessons to make sure that the revised curriculum plans are being consistently well implemented. This means they cannot be certain how effectively the curriculum is being taught. Leaders should ensure that clear systems are in place to enable subject leaders to check how well the curriculum is helping pupils to remember what they have been taught.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

32 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths72%

72%, 10 percentage points above the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths16%

16%, 8 percentage points above the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score108

108, 2 above the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score107

107, 2 above the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score106

106, 1 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

210 pupils on roll, with places for 210

Eligible for free school meals6.2%

6.2%, 20.3 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language12.4%

12.4%, 9.2 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support8.6%

8.6%, 6.2 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan3.3%

3.3%, 2.7 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Colchester

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Highwoods Community Primary School0.5 milesOfsted: Good78% met the expected standard
Friars Grove Primary School0.5 milesOfsted: Good59% met the expected standard
Brinkley Grove Primary School0.6 milesOfsted: Good76% met the expected standard
Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School0.8 milesOfsted: Good47% met the expected standard
Willow Brook Primary School and Nursery0.9 milesOfsted: Good50% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Voluntary controlled school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
4 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mr Craig Twin
Address
Clay Lane Grove, St Johns C of E Primary School, Colchester, CO4 0HH
Local authority
Essex
URN
115065

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.