St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Prescot
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Prescot. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 12 schools in Prescot with published results, and 9,396th of 14,452 across England. It was 91% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Knowsley (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School in detail
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Knowsley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 63% in reading and 63% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 25 families put St John Fisher Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 37 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St John Fisher Catholic Primary School are Knowsley Village School (0.3 miles, Requires improvement, 52% reading, 52% maths); Emmaus Church of England and Catholic Primary School (1.2 miles, Outstanding, 77% reading, 82% maths); St Albert's Catholic Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 67% reading, 77% maths); and Stockbridge Village Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 61% reading, 57% maths).
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Knowsley Village SchoolEmmaus Church of England and Catholic Primary SchoolSt Albert's Catholic Primary SchoolStockbridge Village Primary School
What parents say
35 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St John Fisher Catholic Primary School (as of September 2025): 80% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 0% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (0%).
Who goes there
0.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 22 pupils (10.4%) received SEN support and 7 (3.3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School had 13 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Prescot Rail Station, about 2.9 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tithebarn Road (nw-bound), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 17 crimes within a mile of the school, most often public order offences, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Knowsley (221).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St John Fisher Catholic Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's October 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school has high expectations for all pupils and instils self-belief in them. Reading is particularly strong, with excellent phonics teaching and quick support for struggling readers. Pupils are happy, respectful, and actively learn to be good citizens through activities like helping younger children and supporting charitable causes.
Key Strengths
- High expectations and strong teaching that helps pupils achieve well
- Excellent phonics teaching and early reading support - pupils quickly become confident readers
- Effective behaviour management using a restorative approach
- Strong support for pupils with SEND across a range of subjects
- Well-trained staff and positive school culture where pupils are happy
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers do not always check that pupils have learned essential knowledge, leaving some pupils with gaps
- Pupils lack deep understanding of British values and protected characteristics
- Some classroom activities do not help pupils practise and consolidate their learning
- Curriculum clarity needed on when and how pupils will learn about British values
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Circle time, sporting events, food bank collections, prayer garden, play leaders, Year 6 Fisher friends programme supporting Reception, Shining lights representatives
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School is a good school where pupils are encouraged to achieve their best and conduct themselves well. The school has designed an ambitious curriculum and provides strong support for pupils with additional needs.
At a Glance
17.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
35 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 63% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 63% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.4
Avg class size
24.3
Infant (KS1)
29.0
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St John Fisher Catholic Primary School
Term dates
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Knowsley's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St John Fisher Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St John Fisher Catholic Primary School is in Knowsley; for families living there:
Apply to Knowsley for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Knowsley is 14 (the median across 63 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St John Fisher Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St John Fisher Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St John Fisher Catholic Primary School.
- Knowsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St John Fisher Catholic Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Knowsley got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
91%
Near capacity
188 pupils
207 places
19 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Prescot
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Prescot
Across Knowsley council
Places available
2,085
Applications
1,953
Got 1st preference
86.6%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All primary applications across Knowsley council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
22
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
13.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
211
Total Pupils
97
Boys
114
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
16.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,170
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,551
Per pupil
£1147k
Total funding
£47k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
15.9%
Persistent absence
164
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St John Fisher Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 78% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is St John Fisher Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St John Fisher Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St John Fisher Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Knowsley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School?
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 91% of its 207 places.
How big are the classes at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School average 26.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St John Fisher Catholic Primary School?
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School has around 211 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 15.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St John Fisher Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Knowsley's coordinated admissions process, naming St John Fisher Catholic Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near St John Fisher Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Knowsley is 14 (the median across 63 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St John Fisher Catholic Primary School?
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School is at Tithebarn Road, Knowsley, Prescot, Merseyside, L34 0HA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)