St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy

St John Fisher Primary, a Catholic Voluntary Academy, demonstrates effective leadership and commitment to maintaining high standards in education since its last inspection. The school focuses on creating a safe and supportive environment where pupils are encouraged to achieve academic success while nurturing their personal development. With strong early years education, effective phonics teaching, and a well-structured curriculum, pupils are thriving academically and emotionally. The school has fostered an environment that promotes resilience and engagement through various extracurricular activities and social initiatives.

Strengths

• Strong commitment to pupils' well-being and pastoral support
• Effective teaching of phonics that helps pupils become confident readers
• Creative writing is a particular strength, with pupils demonstrating precise and imaginative skills
• Positive behavior management strategies that foster a supportive learning environment
• Well-planned curriculum with effective adjustments for pupils with SEND
• Strong emphasis on fundamental British values and citizenship development

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in assessing pupils' understanding across subjects may lead to unidentified gaps in knowledge

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 Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.7% 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, 0.5% of pupils at St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy 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 Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy had 21.1 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, 18.2% of pupils at St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy received £6,498 and spent £6,899 for each of its 213 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £8,000 (-£37 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Trust, income was £8,072 and spending £8,099 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 Sheffield · Sheffield local authority: places and applications

St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy is part of St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Emmaus Catholic and CofE Primary School Sheffield
• All Saints' Catholic High School Sheffield
• St Thomas of Canterbury School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy Sheffield
• St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School Sheffield
• St Catherine's Catholic Primary School (Hallam) Sheffield
• St Marie's School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy Sheffield
• Notre Dame High School Sheffield
• Sacred Heart School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy Sheffield
• St Mary's Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy Sheffield
• St Alban's Catholic Primary and Nursery School Doncaster

What is St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy have?

St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy has 198 pupils on roll.

What age range does St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy cover?

St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy?

St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Spring Water Avenue, Hackenthorpe, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S12 4HJ.