St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington

St John Boste Catholic Primary School has been evaluated as outstanding across all domains, showcasing a remarkable level of performance since its establishment as an academy. The school provides a nurturing environment where pupils thrive, demonstrating good behaviour and exemplary attitudes towards learning. The curriculum implemented is ambitious, engaging, and designed to equip students well for future educational stages, underpinned by strong leadership and support from the Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust. Parents express high satisfaction with the care and education their children receive, emphasizing the school's familial atmosphere.

Strengths

• Exemplary behaviour and attitudes of pupils.
• Strong emphasis on reading and early phonics education.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND and those learning English as an additional language.
• High levels of parental satisfaction and community engagement.
• Extensive extra-curricular opportunities available for pupils.

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 Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington attended 96.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.9% 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, 1.7% of pupils at St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington had 22.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 36.2% 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, 7.9% of pupils at St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% 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 St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington received £7,040 and spent £7,179 for each of its 176 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £14,000 (£80 per pupil).

Across all 46 schools of Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust, income was £7,708 and spending £7,760 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 Washington · Sunderland local authority: places and applications

St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington is part of Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust, which runs 46 schools. The nearest others:

• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Washington Washington
• St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington Washington
• St Joseph's Catholic Junior School, Birtley Chester Le Street
• St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley Chester Le Street
• St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Washington Washington
• St Oswald's Catholic Primary, Wrekenton Gateshead
• St Anne's Catholic Primary School, Harlow Green Gateshead
• St Benet's Catholic Primary School, Ouston Chester Le Street
• Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw Houghton Le Spring
• Cardinal Hume Catholic School, Gateshead Gateshead

What is St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington last inspected by Ofsted?

St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington have?

St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington has 178 pupils on roll.

What age range does St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington cover?

St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington?

St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington is at Castle Road, Oxclose Village, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE38 0HL.