John Clare Primary School

John Clare Primary School is a small, community-centred school within Soke Education Trust. Following a full section 5 inspection in April 2026, inspectors found it performing at a strong standard across every evaluated area, with safeguarding requirements met. Pupils achieve extremely well from early years through to Year 6, developing rich subject knowledge, ambitious vocabulary and the foundations for success at secondary school. Behaviour and attendance are particular strengths. Pupils are respectful, self-controlled and eager to learn, and attendance is very high, with leaders acting swiftly to support the small number of pupils who face barriers. The curriculum is ambitious and coherent, teaching is consistently high quality, and pupils with SEND or disadvantage receive highly tailored support. Early years provision helps children become independent, resilient and curious, while personal development, wider opportunities, and leadership and governance are all strong. The only stated next step is for leaders and governors to continue strengthening the already high-quality curriculum and teaching so that even more pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged or have SEND, achieve highly across subjects. There are no significant concerns or areas requiring improvement identified in the report.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve extremely well and leave Year 6 well prepared for secondary school.
• Attendance is very high, and leaders act swiftly to remove barriers to regular attendance.
• Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable, with a culture of respect and self-control throughout the school.
• The curriculum is ambitious, coherent and evidence-based, and teachers teach it consistently well.
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge and check pupils’ understanding precisely.
• Pupils with SEND receive highly tailored support and skilful adaptations to teaching.
• Phonics teaching is expert, with close checks and effective catch-up support.
• Early years provision is high quality, helping children become independent, resilient and curious.
• Inclusion is highly effective, with disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND well supported.
• Leaders and governors have a deep, accurate understanding of the school and high expectations for all.
• Personal development is strong, with rich wider opportunities and a well-established PSHE programme.
• Staff are proud to work at the school, and leaders support their wellbeing and professional development.
• The school sits at the heart of its community and has very positive relationships with parents and carers.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

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 John Clare Primary School attended 97.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.4% 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 John Clare 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 John Clare Primary School had 23.2 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, 15.4% of pupils at John Clare Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.1% 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 John Clare Primary School received £6,844 and spent £7,042 for each of its 127 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £16,000 (£123 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Soke Education Trust, income was £6,611 and spending £6,782 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 Peterborough · Peterborough local authority: places and applications

John Clare Primary School is part of Soke Education Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Northborough Primary School Peterborough
• Werrington Primary School Peterborough
• Wittering Primary School Peterborough
• Gunthorpe Primary School Peterborough
• Alderman Jacobs School Peterborough

What is John Clare Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for John Clare Primary School is Strong standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was John Clare Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

John Clare Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does John Clare Primary School have?

John Clare Primary School has 130 pupils on roll.

What age range does John Clare Primary School cover?

John Clare Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are John Clare Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 91% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is John Clare Primary School?

John Clare Primary School is at West Street, Helpston, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE6 7DX.