St John's Catholic Primary School

About St John's Catholic Primary School

St John’s Catholic Primary School is a state-funded Roman Catholic primary in Cherwell, Oxfordshire, and it is currently oversubscribed by a significant margin. For its 2025/26 intake, the school offered 19 places from a total of 51 applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.68. All 19 offers went to first-preference families, which suggests strong local demand for its places. The school has 228 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, meaning it is operating slightly above its official number. Its proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 8.8%, which is below the national average for primary schools and reflects a relatively less disadvantaged intake than many of its peers in the state sector. The school serves children from age 3 through to 11 and includes a nursery provision, so families looking for a single-site primary journey from the early years onward will find that continuity built in.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2023 rated it Good across all categories, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. This marks a notable improvement from its previous inspection in September 2019, when it was rated Inadequate overall. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 58% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is just below the local authority average of 61%. However, the school performed better in reading, with 85% of pupils reaching the expected standard and 30% achieving a higher standard. Average scores were 107 in reading and 103 in maths. In the Cherwell local authority ranking, the school sits at 31st out of 45 schools, placing it in the bottom half nationally, though its reading outcomes are a clear strength.

The school offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, gymnasium, music rooms, chapel and an outdoor playground, and pupils can take part in sports such as swimming, netball, rounders, dance and gymnastics. A broad selection of clubs is available, including drama, book club, gardening, coding, film club and art club. For children with additional needs, the school has identified provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. With its oversubscribed status and Catholic character, St John’s is likely to suit families who prioritise a faith-based primary education in a school that has shown clear improvement under its current leadership. The nearest outstanding-rated primary is Longford Park Primary School, 1.3 km away, for those who may also want to consider a top-rated alternative.

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