Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

About Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a small primary in Lancashire with just 62 pupils, and its headline metrics tell a story of quiet consistency rather than standout extremes. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 rated it Good across all five categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. That places it in the majority of Lancashire primaries — the local authority has 31 schools rated Outstanding out of 480 total, meaning most are Good or lower. The school's Progress 8 score is not available in the data, but its KS2 performance can be compared against the Lancashire average of 60. Without a specific KS2 score for Silverdale itself, the key takeaway is that the school is operating in line with the typical LA primary, neither dramatically outperforming nor underperforming its peers. Its small size means results can fluctuate year to year, but the consistent Good rating across two inspections (the previous one in 2013 also rated overall effectiveness as Good) suggests stable leadership under headteacher Sarah Sanderson.

Academically, the school's Ofsted breakdown shows no weak spots: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all scored 2 (Good) in the 2024 graded inspection. The previous inspection in 2013 also rated overall effectiveness and leadership and management as Good, though the earlier report did not provide separate scores for other categories. With only 62 pupils, class sizes are small, which can allow for more individual attention. The school offers a nursery provision for children aged 3 and up, feeding into the main school. While the data does not include specific SATs results or a Progress 8 figure, the fact that the school has held a Good rating across both its recent inspections — with no Requires Improvement or Inadequate grades — indicates that academic standards are being maintained at a satisfactory level. The Lancashire average KS2 score of 60 provides a benchmark, but without Silverdale's own figure, parents should look to the school directly for the most recent attainment data.

For families considering Silverdale St John's, the practical picture is one of a tight-knit, oversubscribed village school. For the 2025/26 intake, the school offered 7 places and received 10 total applications, with all 7 first-preference applicants receiving offers — an oversubscription ratio of 1.43. That means it's popular locally but not impossible to get into if you live nearby. Facilities punch above the school's size: a music room, ICT suite, art studios, sports hall, sensory room, forest school, and chapel. Sports include cricket, football, netball, and dance, while clubs cover choir, chess, and science. SEND provisions are in place for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, social and emotional mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. The Church of England character is reflected in the chapel on site. This school would suit families who value a small, community-focused primary with strong pastoral care and a range of facilities, and who are comfortable with the limited year-on-year academic data typical of very small schools.

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