Higham St John's Church of England Primary School

About Higham St John's Church of England Primary School

Higham St John's Church of England Primary School holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across both its most recent inspections. The most recent graded inspection took place in 2010, and an ungraded visit in 2021 confirmed the school continues to meet the standard. The inspection team noted that early years provision had improved to Outstanding, while leadership and management remained Good. When it comes to academic outcomes, the most telling metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. At 59%, this figure sits just one percentage point below the Lancashire local authority average of 60%. In the context of Pendle, the school ranks 19th out of 33 primary schools on this measure, placing it in the bottom half of the borough. Nationally, it sits around the 59th percentile, meaning it performs broadly in line with the middle of the pack.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the picture is mixed but with clear strengths. Reading is a standout subject: 88% of pupils met the expected standard, and 29% achieved the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 107. Maths also performed well, with 82% reaching the expected level and an average score of 104. Writing was slightly weaker, with 76% meeting expectations and only 12% reaching the higher standard. The combined figure of 59% for all three subjects is the headline, and it reflects the fact that while individual subjects are strong, fewer pupils are hitting the bar across the board. There is no progress score data available, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. The school's overall ranking score of 59 places it in the bottom 50% nationally, though this is based solely on the combined expected standard metric.

The school is a Church of England primary with a capacity of 140 and currently has 133 pupils on roll, so it is running close to full. It is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 34 applications for just 9 places, with 7 first-preference offers made. That works out at nearly four applicants per place, so families need to be prepared for a competitive admissions process. Facilities include a library, sports hall, playing fields, a forest school, a sensory room and art studios, which is a decent range for a school of this size. The school offers a number of clubs including Eco Club, Science Club, Film Club and Chess, and sports provision covers cross country, swimming, gymnastics, tennis, rounders and netball. SEND support is available for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. This is a school that suits families who value a strong reading focus, a Christian character, and a broad extracurricular offer within a small, close-knit setting.

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