St John's Church of England Primary School

About St John's Church of England Primary School

St John’s Church of England Primary School sits in the Reading local authority, where it ranks 5th out of 38 primary schools — comfortably inside the top 25% nationally. The three highest-scoring peers in the area are All Saints Junior School, Redlands Primary School, and Alfred Sutton Primary School, all of which sit above it on the local league table. All Saints, the nearest Outstanding-rated school, is just 2.5 km away. St John’s itself holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement judgement. Under headteacher Martina Parsons, the school now serves 462 pupils — 42 more than its official capacity — and operates a nursery provision for children from age three. With a Church of England religious character and a mixed, state-funded intake, it’s a popular choice for local families, reflected in the fact that it received 117 applications for just 57 places in the 2025/26 admissions round.

Academically, St John’s performs well above the Reading local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 78% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a LA average of just 61%. The school’s ranking score of 78 places it 5th in Reading and 249th in the South East region. Looking at individual subjects, reading saw 91% of pupils reach the expected standard and 44% achieve a higher score; maths followed closely with 87% at expected and 38% at a higher level. Writing was slightly lower, with 82% at expected and only 5% reaching the higher standard. Average scaled scores were 108 in reading and 107 in maths. Ofsted’s breakdown from the 2022 inspection rated all key areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — as Good, with no outstanding or requires improvement judgements in any category.

The school offers a broad set of facilities including a Forest School, music rooms, an ICT suite, art studios, a library, playing fields, and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, football, gymnastics, tennis and netball, while extracurricular clubs include drama, choir, art, science and chess. For families with children who have additional needs, St John’s lists provisions for seven categories: specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. The school is oversubscribed, with 55 first-preference applications for 57 total places, meaning most families who put it first do get in, but it’s not guaranteed. Given its strong but not elite academic results, its Good Ofsted rating, and its Church of England character, St John’s suits families who want a solid primary with good facilities and a clear improvement trajectory, rather than a top-tier academic powerhouse.

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