St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford

St John’s Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school. Pupils enjoy attending the school, which is characterized by warm and respectful relationships among staff and students. The strong emphasis on values such as consideration and kindness fosters a positive learning environment where students feel safe and valued. Leaders and teachers showcase high expectations for behavior, and most pupils demonstrate good conduct during lessons, contributing to an atmosphere conducive to learning. Despite the strengths in leadership and curriculum planning, there are areas for improvement. Some subjects have yet to fully develop certain aspects of the curriculum, leading to difficulties for students in making connections with prior learning. Reading instruction lacks consistency across classes, affecting how well some pupils retain knowledge. Addressing these issues will be vital for enhancing the educational experience and outcomes for all learners, especially as the school navigates the consequences of the pandemic and embarks on its first ungraded inspection since 2018.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy a happy and friendly school environment.
• Strong relationships among staff and pupils promote respect and self-confidence.
• High expectations for pupils' behavior and attitudes contribute to effective learning.
• A well-planned curriculum in most subjects ensures secure subject knowledge.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Early years provision is well-structured and prepares children for key stage 1.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum in a few subjects lacks development for linking past and present learning.
• Inconsistent reading instruction across classes affects pupil knowledge retention.

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's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.6% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were 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's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford had 19.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 12.7% of pupils at St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.8% 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 2025–26 St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford received £8,530 and spent £8,211 for each of its 102 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £177,000 (£1,736 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 Welwyn Garden City · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford last inspected by Ofsted?

St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford have?

St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford has 102 pupils on roll.

What age range does St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford cover?

St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford?

St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford is at Lemsford Village, St John's C of E Primary School, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 7TR.