St John's Primary and Nursery School

About St John's Primary and Nursery School

St John's Primary and Nursery School in Southampton is a state primary that currently educates 442 pupils against a capacity of 465, meaning it is very close to full. The school serves a community with a notably high level of disadvantage: 38% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average for primary schools. Demand is strong — for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 78 applications for 55 places, with 53 of those coming as first preferences, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.42. This suggests that local families are actively choosing St John's despite the pressures it faces. The school is non-religious and co-educational, taking children from age 3 through to 11, with a nursery on site. Headteacher Kirsten Buist leads a mixed-gender intake that reflects the diversity of the surrounding area in Southampton.

Academically, St John's sits in the middle of the pack locally. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 56% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — just above the Southampton local authority average of 55%. The school ranks 23rd out of 42 primary schools in the LA, placing it in the bottom half nationally but not far off the local norm. Individual subject scores show reading at an average of 101 and maths at 104, with 78% reaching the expected standard in maths. However, only 2% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, and just 17% hit the higher bar in reading. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2025 judged it Good across all areas — a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2022, with leadership and management, behaviour, personal development and early years all rated Good.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, music rooms, playing fields and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, dance, athletics, cross country, cricket and swimming, while clubs include chess, drama, science, art, film and gardening. For families with children who have additional needs, St John's lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language issues, visual impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 42 families between September 2024 and September 2025 show 76% would recommend the school. Strengths included 95% agreeing their child is happy and 90% feeling their child is safe, though only 48% agreed that the school has high expectations for their child. This is a school that has turned around its Ofsted rating and is popular locally, particularly suited to families in the Southampton area who want a mainstream primary with strong SEND provision and a broad extracurricular offer.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St John's Primary and Nursery School

Helpful Guides for Parents