Milton St John's CofE Primary School

About Milton St John's CofE Primary School

Milton St John's CofE Primary School is clearly a popular choice among local families. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 55 applications for just 26 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.12. Every one of those 26 places went to a first-preference applicant, which tells you how strongly parents feel about getting their child in. The school is a Church of England primary in Tameside, with a current roll of 217 pupils against a capacity of 210, so it's running very close to full. The headteacher is Lisa Gallaher, and the school has nursery provision for children from age three. With 19.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is broadly representative of the local area. The most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in January 2023, confirmed that the school remains Good, a rating it has held consistently across its inspections.

Academically, Milton St John's performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 77% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Tameside average of just 62%. That puts the school 8th out of 57 primary schools in the borough, placing it in the top 25% nationally. The average scores in reading and maths were both 106, comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. In maths, 97% of pupils met the expected standard and 23% reached the higher standard; in reading, 80% met the expected standard and 33% hit the higher mark. Writing was slightly lower, with 83% at expected and none at the higher standard. The school does not have a sixth form, as it is a primary, so all pupils move on to secondary schools at age 11.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a Forest School, sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, an ICT suite and a chapel. Sports provision is strong, with football, cricket, swimming, athletics, tennis, rounders and cross country all on offer. There are also clubs such as art, book club, gardening, chess and eco club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and physical disabilities. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Millbrook Primary School, 2.6 km away. This is a school that suits families who value a church foundation, strong but not stratospheric results, and a genuinely oversubscribed community feel where getting a place requires a first-preference application.

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