St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School

St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School is a highly effective school where pupils thrive in a nurturing, values-led community. This was its first routine section 5 inspection since opening in 2022, and inspectors judged every key area outstanding: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Under the current framework, no overall effectiveness grade is given.

Strengths

• Pupils benefit from an exceptionally nurturing and inclusive Catholic community.
• The curriculum is highly ambitious, engaging and enriched with visits and wider experiences.
• Teachers explain learning clearly, question pupils well and adapt work expertly to meet all needs.
• Pupils with SEND are supported very effectively, including through tailored support in The Nest.
• Reading and phonics are taught exceptionally well, helping pupils become fluent and enthusiastic readers.
• Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary in lessons and at playtime, and they are polite and caring.
• Personal development and character education are exceptional, with a wide range of clubs, leadership roles and spiritual guidance.
• Early years provision is outstanding, with children developing very high levels of independence.
• New starters settle incredibly quickly because routines and high expectations are well embedded.
• Leadership and governance are highly effective, with strong collaboration and meticulous attention to detail.
• Parents, carers and staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

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 Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.1% 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, 3.6% of pupils at St John Henry Newman Catholic VA 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 St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School had 25.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.8% 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, 11.8% of pupils at St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.3% 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 2025–26 St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School received £6,897 and spent £6,680 for each of its 416 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £53,000 (-£128 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Peterborough · Peterborough local authority: places and applications

What is St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School have?

St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School has 415 pupils on roll.

What age range does St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School cover?

St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School?

St John Henry Newman Catholic VA Primary School is at Aqua Drive, Hampton Water, Peterborough, PE7 8QL.