Blackpool St John's Church of England Primary School

About Blackpool St John's Church of England Primary School

Blackpool St John's Church of England Primary School is a state primary for mixed pupils aged 4 to 11, located in the Blackpool local authority. It ranks 7th out of 23 primary schools in the area, placing it comfortably in the top third locally. The three highest-ranked peers in Blackpool are Kincraig Primary School, Blackpool St Nicholas CofE Primary School, and Westcliff Primary Academy, all of which sit above St John's in the local league table. The school is led by headteacher Nadine Galloway and has a Church of England religious character. It is a relatively small school, with 205 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, and it serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage — 51.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. In its most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in 2025, the school was rated Good across every graded category, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This continues a pattern of Good ratings that goes back to its previous inspection in 2012.

Academically, Blackpool St John's performs well above the local average. At Key Stage 2, 69% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Blackpool LA average of 58%. The school also outperforms the local norm in individual subjects: 86% reached the expected standard in reading, 72% in writing, and 90% in maths. At the higher standard, 7% achieved the combined measure, with reading leading at 34% and maths at 10%. Average scaled scores were 106 in reading and 104 in maths. Nationally, the school ranks 4,600th out of 13,686 primaries, placing it in the top third of schools across England. In the North West region, it sits at 665th out of 2,065 schools. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points, but the raw attainment figures are solid.

The school offers a good range of facilities, including music rooms, art studios, a sensory room, a forest school area, a chapel, and an outdoor playground. Sports provision covers rounders, swimming, tennis, athletics, and gymnastics, while clubs include gardening, drama, and film club. The school has a strong focus on SEND support, with provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school was oversubscribed: it received 41 applications for 27 places, with 26 first-preference applications and 26 first-preference offers. This suggests it is a popular choice among local families. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Layton Primary School, 1.9 km away. Blackpool St John's is a good fit for families seeking a Church of England primary with strong academic outcomes, a supportive SEND environment, and a clear sense of community in a disadvantaged area.

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