St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School

St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School is a welcoming, inclusive school where pupils feel safe and happy and where relationships are built on mutual respect and trust. Inspectors found high expectations for behaviour and achievement, a harmonious ethos, and a curriculum that has been effectively reviewed and is ambitious and well crafted across subjects and early years. Pupils benefit from clear teaching, strong support for pupils with SEND, a wide range of reading opportunities and purposeful clubs and experiences that build confidence and character. Personal development is a notable strength, with pupils showing respect for difference and a strong understanding of British values and well-being. The school’s main areas for improvement relate to assessment and early reading. Sometimes teachers do not identify and address weaknesses in pupils’ understanding quickly enough, and on occasion key gaps in phonics knowledge are not addressed precisely. Some books read by older pupils are not well matched to the sounds they have learned, which can slow reading fluency. Attendance is also a concern: a significant minority of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are persistently absent and miss important learning. This was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. The school is part of the St John and St Nicolas Schools Federation and is a voluntary-aided Church of England infant and nursery school. Governors are knowledgeable and provide appropriate support and challenge, staff feel valued, parents almost unanimously support the school, and safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• Welcoming and inclusive environment where pupils feel safe and happy
• Strong relationships based on mutual respect and trust
• High expectations for pupils’ behaviour and achievement
• Calm, orderly classrooms where pupils are courteous and attentive
• Ambitious and well-crafted curriculum across subjects and early years
• Clear information for teachers about essential knowledge and vocabulary
• Quick identification of SEND and effective adaptations and support
• Strong culture of reading with diverse texts and inviting reading spaces
• Early years staff introduce wide vocabulary that children use well
• Pupils take on leadership roles and build confidence through clubs and experiences
• Pupils are accepting of different faiths and cultures and are positive citizens
• Governors are knowledgeable and provide appropriate support and challenge
• Staff workload and well-being are considered and staff feel valued
• Parents and carers almost unanimously support the school
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers sometimes do not identify and address weaknesses in pupils’ understanding well enough
• Key gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge are occasionally not addressed with sufficient precision
• Some books read by older pupils do not help them practise the sounds they have learned
• Some pupils do not learn to read as fluently as they could
• A significant minority of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are persistently absent
• Persistent absence means some pupils miss vital learning and school experiences

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 23.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.1% of pupils at St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School had 21.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 8.5% of pupils at St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2022–23 St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School received £6,185 and spent £6,250 for each of its 191 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £15,000 (£79 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Newbury · West Berkshire local authority: places and applications

What is St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School have?

St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School has 188 pupils on roll.

What age range does St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School cover?

St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School?

St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School is at Old Newtown Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 7DE.