St John the Baptist Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

About St John the Baptist Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

St John the Baptist Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in Stockton-on-Tees is a state primary for children aged 2 to 11, and it is currently running well above its official capacity. With 347 pupils on roll against a capacity of 300, the school is clearly a popular choice locally, and that demand is backed up by the numbers: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 41 applications for just 26 places, with 25 of those applicants putting it as their first preference. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 1.58, meaning nearly six out of ten families who apply are turned away. The school’s intake is also notably diverse in terms of disadvantage: 78.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure far above the national average and a strong signal that this school serves a community with significant economic need. As a Church of England school, it has a religious character, but the data suggests its appeal goes well beyond faith-based families.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023 rated it Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — matching its previous Good rating from 2014. At Key Stage 2, results from the 2023/24 academic year show that 48% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is well below the local authority average of 66%, and it places the school 45th out of 55 primaries in Stockton-on-Tees, putting it in the bottom half of the league table. Individual subject scores are mixed: 60% hit the expected standard in maths and writing, but only 50% did so in reading. Higher-level attainment is low — just 10% achieved the higher standard in maths, and 7% in both reading and writing. The average scaled scores were 101 in maths and 100 in reading, both just above the national baseline of 100.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, gymnasium, sports hall, ICT suite, chapel and an outdoor playground, plus sports like athletics, dance, cross country and football. There are also clubs such as Book Club, Science Club and Eco Club. For families with children who have additional needs, the SEND provision is unusually comprehensive: the school has a dedicated SEN unit and resourced provision, and it supports pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health needs, and physical disabilities. Nursery provision is also available from age two. Given the high level of oversubscription, any family considering this school should be prepared to apply early and likely not secure a place as a first preference. It is best suited to families who value a Church of England setting and strong SEND support, and who are comfortable with a school where academic outcomes are below the local average but where pastoral care and inclusion are clearly prioritised.

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