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 in Bromley is a small state primary with 148 pupils against a capacity of 210, meaning it has room to grow. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 43.2%, significantly above the national average, reflecting the school's role in a diverse local community. Despite its size, demand is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 100 applications for 29 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.45, with 19 first-preference offers made. This suggests that families in the area are actively choosing St John's, even though it is not the most academically high-performing option locally. The school is a Church of England foundation, led by headteacher Katherine Nash, and its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2024 judged the overall effectiveness as 'Not judged' due to the inspection being a graded one that focused on specific areas rather than a full assessment.

Academically, the school's performance in Key Stage 2 SATs for the 2023/24 year is below the local authority average. Only 42% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Bromley LA average of 69%. This places St John's 67th out of 69 primary schools in the borough, in the bottom 50 nationally. Individual subject scores show 58% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, 54% in writing, and 50% in maths, with very few reaching the higher standard: 13% in reading, 4% in maths, and none in writing. Progress measures are not available in the data, so it is unclear how much value the school adds from starting points. The Ofsted inspection rated the quality of education as 'Requires improvement', while early years provision, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes were all graded 'Good'. Leadership and management also received a 'Requires improvement' rating.

The school offers a range of facilities including a gymnasium, music rooms, library, dining hall, forest school and chapel. Sports include cross country, football, swimming, dance and athletics, and clubs such as book club, drama, science club, coding and gardening are available. SEND provisions cover social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, hearing impairment, physical disability and other difficulties. Parent View responses from 13 respondents between September 2024 and September 2025 were overwhelmingly positive: 92% would recommend the school, and 92% of those who answered felt their child is happy and safe. However, the small sample size means these results should be treated with caution. For families prioritising a nurturing, community-focused Church of England primary with strong parental satisfaction and a forest school, St John's could be a good fit, though those seeking top academic outcomes may want to consider the nearest outstanding option, Harris Primary Academy Kent House, 0.6 km away.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St John's Church of England Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents