Ellel St John the Evangelist Church of England Primary School

About Ellel St John the Evangelist Church of England Primary School

Ellel St John the Evangelist Church of England Primary School holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained consistently across its two most recent inspections. The most telling academic metric for this primary school is its Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths expected standard score, where 75% of pupils met the benchmark in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure sits comfortably above the Lancashire local authority average of 60%, placing the school 9th out of 46 primary schools in the Lancaster area and within the top 25% nationally. The school’s overall ranking score of 75 reflects strong performance, particularly in reading, where 89% of pupils reached the expected standard and 39% achieved the higher standard. Maths and writing also performed well, with 81% and 83% reaching expected levels respectively. The average scaled scores of 107 in both reading and maths further underline solid core subject attainment.

Digging deeper into the Ofsted picture, the school’s most recent graded inspection took place in 2013, when it was rated Good across the board, including leadership and management. An ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed the school “remains Good,” with inspectors noting no change in overall effectiveness. The previous inspection in 2007 had also awarded a Good rating, though early years provision was graded as Requires Improvement at that time. The school has clearly maintained its standard over the long term. With 199 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, it is operating close to full but not overcrowded. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 10.6%, slightly below the national average, suggesting a relatively mixed catchment.

For families considering this school, the practical picture is encouraging. It is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 42 applications for 29 places, with 28 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.45. The school offers a range of facilities including a Forest School, sensory room, ICT suite, music rooms, art studios, library and chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, gymnastics, dance, cricket and tennis, while clubs include drama, choir, coding, chess and gardening. SEND support is well-developed, with provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a Church of England primary that suits families who value strong academic outcomes in a supportive, well-resourced setting, particularly those who can secure a place through the oversubscribed admissions process.

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