St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore

St John Fisher Catholic Primary School has shown significant improvement since its last inspection, now achieving a overall effectiveness rating of 'Good'. The school offers a safe and nurturing environment where pupils are well-behaved, polite, and demonstrate a strong sense of respect for one another. Leaders have high expectations and have recently revised the curriculum, which has now effectively engaged pupils and built on their prior learning. The school’s commitment to reading is evident in their updated phonics programme that enables young children to learn quickly and develop as fluent readers, thereby fostering a love for reading among students. However, the school faces challenges with attendance, particularly among vulnerable pupils, which impacts their learning continuity. While staff have shown great skill in adapting tasks for reading and mathematics, there are areas within foundation subjects where adaptations are less effective, potentially hindering some pupils' progress. The leadership is aware of these concerns and is taking steps to address them, with a supportive culture established among staff and a knowledgeable governing body backing the administration.

Strengths

• High level of nurture and care provided to pupils.
• Strong relationships between staff and students.
• High expectations for all pupils, both socially and academically.
• Well-sequenced and engaging curriculum.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Strong emphasis on reading and phonics programmes.
• Positive behaviour and attitudes among students.
• Supportive leadership and skilled staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Gaps in learning for some vulnerable pupils due to attendance issues.
• Inconsistencies in adapting tasks in foundation subjects for pupils.
• Need for improved pedagogical content knowledge among teachers.

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 Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore attended 93.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.0% 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, 0.9% of pupils at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore 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 Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore had 20.8 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, 15.3% of pupils at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore 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 2024–25 St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore received £6,879 and spent £6,778 for each of its 232 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £69,000 (-£296 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company, income was £7,222 and spending £7,198 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Oxford · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore is part of The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Our Lady's Roman Catholic Primary School Oxford
• Greyfriars Catholic School Oxford
• St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington Kidlington
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Thame Thame
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Bicester Bicester
• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney Witney
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton Carterton
• Holy Trinity Catholic School, Chipping Norton Chipping Norton
• Blessed George Napier Catholic School and Sixth Form Banbury
• St John's Catholic Primary School Banbury

What is St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore last inspected by Ofsted?

St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore have?

St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore has 242 pupils on roll.

What age range does St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore cover?

St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore?

St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore is at Sandy Lane West, Littlemore, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 6LD.