St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington

About St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington

St John Boste Catholic Primary School in Washington was rated Outstanding in its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024, a significant step up from its previous Good rating in 2012. The inspection gave top marks across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. On the key academic metric for primary schools, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined stood at 69% in the 2023/24 academic year. That is slightly above the Sunderland local authority average of 67%, placing the school 29th out of 73 similar schools in the area. The school also performed well on individual subjects, with 81% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and 85% in writing, while maths sat at 73%. Higher-standard attainment was more mixed: 46% achieved the higher standard in maths, but only 15% did so across all three subjects.

The school's Progress 8 scores are not available, but the average scaled scores in reading and maths both came in at 107, which is above the national benchmark of 100. In the local authority rankings, St John Boste sits in the top 40% of primary schools, and nationally it ranks in the top 35% of all primary schools. The Ofsted report noted that behaviour and attitudes were Outstanding, and inspectors highlighted that pupils feel safe and are keen to learn. The school is one of only nine Outstanding-rated primary schools in Sunderland out of 81 total, and the nearest other Outstanding school, Rickleton Primary, is 2.5 kilometres away. This suggests St John Boste is a strong academic choice for Catholic families in the Washington area, particularly those who value a faith-based environment alongside solid core subject results.

The school has a capacity of 223 pupils but currently enrols 180, so there is some room for growth. It was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 51 applications for 30 places and 30 first-preference offers made from 31 first-preference applications — a ratio of 1.7 applicants per place. The school offers a nursery provision for children aged three and above. Facilities include a chapel, forest school, art studios, music rooms, a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields, and an ICT suite. Sports on offer include rounders, netball, tennis, athletics, and swimming, while clubs range from coding and gardening to choir, film club, and book club. The school supports a range of SEND needs, including dyslexia, speech and language difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs. This is a school that suits families seeking a Catholic primary with strong academic foundations, a broad extracurricular offer, and a clear commitment to personal development.

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