Read St John's CofE Primary School

About Read St John's CofE Primary School

Read St John's CofE Primary School is clearly a popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 62 applications for just 25 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.48, meaning more than two families applied for every spot. Of those 62 applications, 23 were first-preference choices, and all 23 received offers. That level of demand suggests a strong reputation in the Ribble Valley community. The school is a Church of England primary with a mixed intake of 193 pupils, comfortably within its capacity of 210. Headteacher Frances Agar leads a school that has held a Good rating from Ofsted since its graded inspection in 2012, and an ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed it remains Good. The previous inspection in 2010 rated the school as Requires Improvement, so the improvement to Good and the sustained rating since then is a clear positive signal for parents.

Academically, Read St John's performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 76% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Lancashire local authority average of just 60%. That puts the school in the top 25% of primary schools nationally for this measure, and 10th out of 25 schools in the Ribble Valley. Average scores were strong too: 107 in reading and 105 in maths, both above the national benchmark of 100. At the higher standard, 34% of pupils achieved that level in reading and maths, and 14% in writing. The school's ranking score of 76 places it 69th out of 480 primary schools across the whole of Lancashire, comfortably in the top tier. There is no Progress 8 data available for primary schools, but the attainment figures speak for themselves.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, art studios, music rooms, an ICT suite, a sensory room and a chapel. Sports on offer include netball, tennis, gymnastics and dance, while clubs range from choir and drama to gardening, art, film and science. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With its strong academic outcomes, clear oversubscription and Church of England character, Read St John's will particularly suit families who want a well-regarded village primary with a faith foundation and a proven track record of exceeding local averages.

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