John Burns Primary School

About John Burns Primary School

John Burns Primary School is a small state primary in Wandsworth that parents clearly want to get into. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 50 applications for just 14 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.57. Ten of those applications were first preferences, and all ten received offers. That level of demand suggests a strong local reputation, and it’s backed up by the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, which confirmed it remains Good. The previous graded inspection in 2018 also rated it Good across the board, including leadership and management, and early years provision. With 59.5 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse and disadvantaged community, yet still manages to attract this level of interest. There’s no parent view data available to give a direct recommendation percentage, but the oversubscription figures alone tell you that families in the area are actively choosing John Burns.

Academically, John Burns punches well above its weight. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 89 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That’s well above the Wandsworth local authority average of 68 per cent. The school also ranks 3rd out of 55 primary schools in the borough on this measure, placing it in the top 5 per cent locally. Nationally, it sits in the top 3 per cent of all primary schools. Looking at individual subjects, 96 per cent met the expected standard in maths, and 93 per cent did so in both reading and writing. At the higher standard, 36 per cent of pupils achieved above expectations in reading, 29 per cent in writing, and 25 per cent in maths. The average scaled scores were 108 in reading and 107 in maths, both comfortably above the national average of 100. Progress scores aren’t available in the data, but the attainment figures are strong enough to suggest effective teaching across the board.

The school offers a good range of facilities for a primary of its size, including playing fields, a sports hall, a sensory room, a forest school and a library. There’s also a chapel on site. Sports on offer include football, dance, netball, swimming and athletics, and clubs cover drama, eco club and book club. The nursery provision means children can join from age three. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND support for social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 165 pupils against a capacity of 236, the school is not at full capacity, but the high oversubscription ratio means getting a place is competitive. This is a school that suits families who value strong academic outcomes in a diverse, community-focused setting, and who are prepared to apply early and make it their first choice.

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