St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy

About St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy

St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy, sits within the Sheffield local authority and ranks 7th out of 106 primary schools in the area, placing it comfortably in the top 25% of schools locally. Its closest academic peers, based on ranking scores, are Dobcroft Junior School, Totley Primary School, and Angram Bank Primary School. The school is a Roman Catholic state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 4 to 11, with headteacher Frank Barratt at the helm. It is slightly oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 academic year, there were 27 applications for 16 places, with all 16 first-preference applicants receiving offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.69. The school has a capacity of 210 and currently houses 213 pupils, so it is running at full capacity. Just over 19% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools.

Academically, St John Fisher performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 78% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared with the Sheffield LA average of 57%. Reading scores were particularly strong, with an average scaled score of 108 and 44% of pupils reaching the higher standard. Maths followed with an average score of 106 and 25% achieving the higher standard. Writing saw 9% of pupils reach the higher standard. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in November 2024, confirmed that standards are being maintained, with the overall effectiveness remaining at Good. The previous graded inspection in 2015 had also rated the school Good across leadership, early years provision, and overall effectiveness, a notable improvement from an Inadequate rating in 2013.

Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with 98% of respondents to the Parent View survey saying they would recommend the school. Strong majorities agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy (99%), feels safe (98%), and that the school has high expectations (100%). The school offers a range of facilities including a chapel, library, art studios, music rooms, and playing fields. Sports include swimming, netball, and gymnastics, while clubs range from Eco Club to Science Club. SEND provisions cover a broad spectrum, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. For Catholic families in Sheffield looking for a strong academic record within a faith-based setting, St John Fisher is a popular and well-regarded choice, though its oversubscription means early application is essential.

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