St John Fisher Catholic Primary School

About St John Fisher Catholic Primary School

St John Fisher Catholic Primary School in Halton holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained consistently across its two most recent graded inspections. The most telling academic metric comes from the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results: 67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits comfortably above the Halton local authority average of 59%, placing the school 15th out of 43 primary schools in the area and inside the top 50% nationally. The school’s overall ranking score of 67 reflects solid, above-average performance for a state primary. In individual subjects, 85% of pupils met the expected standard in maths, with an average scaled score of 105, while reading and writing saw 82% and 76% respectively. The proportion reaching the higher standard is more modest — 6% in both reading, writing and maths combined — suggesting the school is particularly effective at moving children to a secure, age-appropriate level rather than pushing for the top tier.

Digging deeper into the 2023/24 data, the school’s strengths are clearest in maths, where 24% of pupils achieved the higher standard, compared with 30% in reading and just 6% in writing. The average scaled scores of 105 in both reading and maths are exactly in line with the national average, confirming that most children leave St John Fisher with a solid foundation. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 was an ungraded visit that confirmed it remains Good, and the previous graded inspection in 2013 also awarded Good across the board, including leadership and management. There are no outstanding primaries in the immediate vicinity — the nearest is St Bede’s Catholic Infant School, 1.4 km away — and only two outstanding primaries in the entire Halton local authority of 49 schools. For a Catholic primary in the area, St John Fisher is performing well above the local benchmark.

The school serves 204 pupils from ages 4 to 11, operating very close to its capacity of 210. It is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, 39 families applied for 23 places, and all 22 first-preference applicants were offered a spot. That oversubscription ratio of 1.7 to 1 suggests strong local demand, particularly from Catholic families. Facilities include a chapel, sensory room, ICT suite, art studios, and both a gymnasium and sports hall, plus outdoor playing fields and a playground. Sports on offer include swimming, football, athletics, gymnastics and rounders, and clubs range from coding and chess to choir and eco club. The school has a broad SEND offer, with provisions for moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, hearing and visual impairments, and physical disabilities. With 34.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals — above the national average — this is a genuinely inclusive school that balances academic rigour with strong pastoral and spiritual support. It will suit families who want a faith-based primary with above-average outcomes and a welcoming, well-resourced environment.

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