Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School

Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School has demonstrated a solid performance, earning a good rating across most areas, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership. Notably, personal development and early years provision were rated as outstanding, reflecting the school's commitment to supporting pupils' well-being and growth. This inspection marked the school's first routine evaluation since the pandemic, and it has been under a previous outstanding judgment for over a decade, indicating a long-standing history of quality educational standards. The school fosters a strong Christian ethos and emphasizes values such as kindness among its pupils. Leaders have high expectations, and the curriculum is ambitious, particularly in mathematics and early years education. While there are some positive developments in curriculum planning across subjects, the inspectors noted that further work is needed to close gaps in knowledge from the previous curriculum. Overall, the school is well-supported by governors and staff who have confidence in the leadership.

Strengths

• Exceptional personal development opportunities for pupils.
• Outstanding early years provision with skilled staff.
• Strong subject knowledge among teachers supported by quality professional development.
• Pupils achieve well in mathematics and enjoy the subject.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements in place.
• Calm and orderly classroom environment with high behaviour expectations.
• Strong relationships foster a respectful and kind atmosphere.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects still have developing curriculums that need improvement.

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 Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School attended 96.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.1% 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, 0.4% of pupils at Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School 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 Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School had 25.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 30.2% 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, 12.8% of pupils at Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.5% 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 Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School received £6,742 and spent £6,754 for each of its 478 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £11,000 (-£23 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

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What is Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School have?

Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School has 493 pupils on roll.

What age range does Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School cover?

Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School?

Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School is at High Street, Penistone, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S36 6BS.