St Johns Church of England Primary School

St John’s Church of England Primary School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in all areas of inspection. The school is characterized by its strong Christian values and a culture of mutual respect, which fosters a safe and inclusive environment for its diverse pupil population. While there are many strengths in the quality of education and personal development initiatives, there is a commitment to continue enhancing academic outcomes, particularly in reading and identifying gaps in learning. This inspection is notable as it is the first routine assessment since the pandemic, taking into account the challenges faced by students during that period.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• Aspiration for all pupils, including those with SEND
• Effective support for pupils who speak English as an additional language
• Positive culture promoting mental health and well-being
• Engaging and well-resourced learning environment
• Proactive approach to improving attendance
• Strong focus on phonics and early reading

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent identification of pupils’ gaps in understanding across subjects
• Some pupils not achieving fluency in reading
• Low attendance for some pupils impacting learning

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 Johns Church of England Primary School attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 25.9% 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, 7.1% of pupils at St Johns Church of England 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 St Johns Church of England Primary School had 15.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.8% 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, 18.7% of pupils at St Johns Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.2% 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 Johns Church of England Primary School received £7,851 and spent £7,886 for each of its 416 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £0 (£1 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 Canterbury · Kent local authority: places and applications

What is St Johns Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Johns Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was St Johns Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Johns Church of England Primary School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does St Johns Church of England Primary School have?

St Johns Church of England Primary School has 427 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Johns Church of England Primary School cover?

St Johns Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are St Johns Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 38% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Johns Church of England Primary School?

St Johns Church of England Primary School is at St John's Place, Northgate, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 1BD.