St John's Church of England Infant School

St John's Church of England Infant School has demonstrated a solid performance since the appointment of the current leadership team in September 2023. The quality of education across various domains is regarded as good, showcasing a commitment to raising academic expectations and ensuring that all pupils receive support for their reading and mathematics development. This shift has led to increased parental confidence and a doubling of pupil numbers. The school's warm community atmosphere is evident, as all families are welcomed and supported effectively, fostering strong relationships between staff and pupils. However, while significant strengths were noted in personal, social, and emotional development, some areas require further attention. The curriculum for early years and certain foundation subjects is still in the early stages of development, impacting the consistency with which children’s learning objectives are defined and achieved. Leadership recognition of these gaps indicates a proactive approach to improving outcomes for all students going forward.

Strengths

• Strong community atmosphere that supports pupils and families
• Effective prioritization of reading and mathematics development
• Warm and positive relationships between staff and pupils
• Well-sequenced curriculums introduced across all subjects
• High levels of pupil behavior and engagement in learning
• Parental involvement in school activities and clubs

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent sequencing in early years curriculum impacting learning clarity
• Foundation subjects' curriculum implementation at an early development stage

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 Church of England Infant School attended 91.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 28.9% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St John's Church of England Infant 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 John's Church of England Infant School had 13.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.9% 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, 13.0% of pupils at St John's Church of England Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.3% 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's Church of England Infant School received £6,422 and spent £6,687 for each of its 80 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £108,000 (£1,349 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of Medway Anglican Schools Trust, income was £5,942 and spending £6,103 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 Chatham · Medway local authority: places and applications

St John's Church of England Infant School is part of Medway Anglican Schools Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• All Saints Church of England Primary School Chatham
• St Margaret's Church of England Junior School Gillingham
• St James Church of England Primary Academy Rochester

What is St John's Church of England Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St John's Church of England Infant School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was St John's Church of England Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

St John's Church of England Infant School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does St John's Church of England Infant School have?

St John's Church of England Infant School has 77 pupils on roll.

What age range does St John's Church of England Infant School cover?

St John's Church of England Infant School for pupils aged 5 to 7.

Where is St John's Church of England Infant School?

St John's Church of England Infant School is at 4 New Street, 4 New Street, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6RH.