St John's Church of England Academy

About St John's Church of England Academy

St John’s Church of England Academy is a smaller-than-average primary in Coventry, with 197 pupils against a capacity of 210, so there’s a little headroom in the building. But don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s easy to get into: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 59 applications for just 17 places, making it oversubscribed by a ratio of 3.47 to one. All 17 offers went to first-preference families, which suggests strong local loyalty. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 5.1%, well below the national average and notably lower than many Coventry primaries, indicating a relatively affluent intake. As a Church of England school, it has a religious character, though the data doesn’t specify whether this affects admissions criteria. Headteacher Laura Stevenson leads a mixed-gender, state-funded primary for ages 4 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form provision.

Academically, St John’s performs solidly above the Coventry average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 61% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of 58%. That places the school 28th out of 80 primaries in Coventry, putting it in the top half locally. Reading scores are a particular strength: 82% met the expected standard and 25% achieved a higher standard, with an average scaled score of 106. Maths followed at 68% expected and 18% higher, with an average score of 104. Writing saw 75% at expected but no pupils reaching the higher threshold. Progress scores aren’t available in the data, so it’s hard to say how much value the school adds, but the raw outcomes are respectable. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, the school was rated Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good — a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2009.

The school offers a decent range of facilities for a primary of this size, including a sports hall, gymnasium, outdoor playground, forest school area, sensory room and a chapel. Sports on offer include netball, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, cricket and dance, while clubs extend to coding, art, choir, eco club, book club and chess — so there’s plenty to keep children engaged beyond the school day. SEND provision is targeted at social, emotional and mental health needs, as well as speech, language and communication support. For families weighing up options, St John’s looks like a strong, well-regarded local choice for those who value a Church of England setting and solid academic outcomes, though the high oversubscription means you’ll need to get your application in early. If you’re after an Outstanding-rated alternative, the nearest is Sidney Stringer Primary Academy, 3.7 km away.

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