St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Buckhurst Hill

About St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Buckhurst Hill

St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in Buckhurst Hill is a popular choice among local families, and the numbers back that up. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 219 applications for just 60 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.65. Of those, 97 families put it as their first preference, and 58 first-preference offers were made. That level of demand suggests a school that parents actively want their children to attend, though it's worth noting that the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated it Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good. The previous graded inspection in 2013 had rated it Outstanding, so the current rating represents a step down, but the ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed the school remains Good. With 414 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, it's running very close to full.

Academically, the school's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 paint a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 56%, which is below the Essex local authority average of 62%. In the Epping Forest local area, this placed the school 19th out of 30 primary schools, putting it in the bottom half. Looking at individual subjects, reading was a relative strength, with 87% of pupils reaching the expected standard and an average scaled score of 107. Maths saw 73% at the expected standard with an average score of 105. Writing was weaker, with 69% reaching the expected standard and only 11% achieving a higher standard. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard across all three subjects was just 7%. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom third of all primary schools on the combined expected standard measure.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, an ICT suite, art studios, a chapel and a Forest School area. Sports provision covers football, cricket, swimming, tennis, athletics, dance and cross country, while clubs include coding, chess, choir, film and gardening. SEND support is available for pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language challenges, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school has a Church of England religious character and is led by headteacher Jonathan Furness. With just 5.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is less disadvantaged than many schools locally. This is a school that suits families who value a strong community feel and a broad range of activities, but who are also realistic about academic outcomes that sit below the local average.

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