St John's Church of England Primary School
121-147 Orts Road, Reading, Reading, RG1 3JN
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- OXFORD DIOCESAN SCHOOLS TRUST
- Executive Headteacher
- Headteacher Martina Parsons
- Diocese
- Diocese of Oxford
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Diocese of Oxford
- Constituency
- Reading Central
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 420
- Pupils on roll
- 454
- URN
- 142735
- Local authority
- Reading
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01189375540
About this school
St John's Church of England Primary School is a Church of England primary academy in Reading. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 454 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected St John's Church of England Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 60 | 55 | 57 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 58% | 78% | 58% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 13% | 5% | 2% |
| Expected standard in reading | 72% | 91% | 70% |
| Expected standard in maths | 73% | 87% | 74% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 67% | 87% | 70% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 106.0 | 108.0 | 104.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 107.0 | 103.0 |
| Reading progress | +2.60 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +0.90 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +2.60 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How St John's Church of England Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Reading average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 58% | 55.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 78% | 57.3% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 58% | 60.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.8% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.1% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 437 |
| 2023/24 | 453 |
| 2024/25 | 462 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St John's Church of England Primary School compares
St John's Church of England Primary School ranked 25th of 37 primary schools in Reading for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 36% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 59% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 58% | 5.1% | 20.7% | 454 | — |
| New Town Primary School | 61% | 5.7% | 20.4% | 410 | 0.2 miles |
| Redlands Primary School | 50% | 5.1% | 16.2% | 196 | 0.6 miles |
| Alfred Sutton Primary School | 83% | 6.3% | 18.8% | 664 | 0.8 miles |
| Katesgrove Primary School | 64% | 5.3% | 17.1% | 674 | 0.9 miles |
| New Christ Church Church of England Primary School | 54% | 5.1% | 19% | 185 | 1.0 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 20.67%
- English as an additional language
- 56.1%
- Overall absence
- 5.07%
- Persistent absence
- 14.84%
Location
Nearby schools
-
New Town Primary School0.2 miles
Primary · Reading
-
Redlands Primary School0.6 miles
Primary · Reading
-
Alfred Sutton Primary School0.8 miles
Primary · Reading
-
Katesgrove Primary School0.9 miles
Primary · Reading
-
New Christ Church Church of England Primary School1.0 miles
Primary · Reading
Other schools in Reading
St John's Church of England Primary School ranks 57th of the 82 ranked primary schools in Reading.
- Aldermaston C.E. Primary School Primary
- Aldryngton Primary School Primary
- Alfred Sutton Primary School Primary
- All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School Primary
- All Saints Junior School Primary
- Basildon C.E. Primary School Primary
- Battle Primary Academy Primary
- Beechwood Primary School Primary
- Beenham Primary School Primary
- Birch Copse Primary School Primary
- Bradfield C.E. Primary School Primary
- Brimpton C.E. Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does St John's Church of England Primary School teach?
- St John's Church of England Primary School teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Reading.
- Who is the executive headteacher of St John's Church of England Primary School?
- The executive headteacher of St John's Church of England Primary School is Headteacher Martina Parsons, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has St John's Church of England Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St John's Church of England Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at St John's Church of England Primary School?
- St John's Church of England Primary School has 454 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is St John's Church of England Primary School full?
- St John's Church of England Primary School has capacity for 420 pupils and 454 on roll (108%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St John's Church of England Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. St John's Church of England Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Oxford.
- Does St John's Church of England Primary School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records St John's Church of England Primary School as having nursery classes.
- Is St John's Church of England Primary School part of an academy trust?
- St John's Church of England Primary School is part of OXFORD DIOCESAN SCHOOLS TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have St John's Church of England Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 58% in 2022/23 and 58% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does St John's Church of England Primary School compare with other schools in Reading?
- St John's Church of England Primary School ranked 25th of 37 primary schools in Reading for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 36% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 59% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is St John's Church of England Primary School's absence rate?
- St John's Church of England Primary School's overall absence rate is 5.1% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are St John's Church of England Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, St John's Church of England Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 2 July 2026.