St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy, Derby
St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Derby, part of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 55th-highest of the 86 schools in Derby with published results, and 10,901st of 14,452 across England. It was 84% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- 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 Derby (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 61% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 70% in Derby and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 68% in reading and 50% 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 Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 33 named it as one of their preferences, for 17 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy are Alvaston Junior Academy (0.3 miles, Requires improvement, 55% reading, 45% maths); Alvaston Infant and Nursery School (0.3 miles, Good); Wyndham Spencer Academy (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 67% reading, 73% maths); and Oakwood Infant and Nursery School (0.7 miles, Good).
St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
Alvaston Junior AcademyAlvaston Infant and Nursery SchoolWyndham Spencer AcademyOakwood Infant and Nursery School
The trust
St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy is one of 25 schools run by St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
All 25 schools in St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust
Who goes there
34.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (39%), Black (29%) and Mixed (10%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Spondon Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St John Fisher Primary School (adjacent), 40 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy issued 5 suspensions, 2.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy are Alvaston Moor Academy (1.1 miles), Noel-Baker Academy (1.3 miles) and West Park School (1.7 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
21.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 68% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 50% to 61% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 56% to 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.6
Avg class size
18.0
Infant (KS1)
31.3
KS2
7
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- Junior Adventures Group @ Wyndham DE24960m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy is in Derby; for families living there:
Apply to Derby for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 47
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 42 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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 Derby is 24 (the median across 119 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 Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Derby, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Derby 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
84%
Available places
194 pupils
230 places
36 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Derby
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Derby
Across Derby council
Places available
3,564
Applications
2,643
Got 1st preference
94.4%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Derby council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
25
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
17.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
179
Total Pupils
93
Boys
86
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
19.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,671
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,637
Per pupil
£1128k
Total funding
£52k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
17.6%
Persistent absence
188
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% reached the expected standard in reading and 61% did so in maths.
What is St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023.
What is the catchment area for St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Derby 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 Voluntary Academy?
St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 84% of its 230 places.
How big are the classes at St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy average 25.6 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy?
St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy has around 179 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy?
5.1% of sessions were missed at St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 17.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Derby's coordinated admissions process, naming St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy 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.
Does St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy: Junior Adventures Group @ Wyndham DE24 (960m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 42 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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 Derby is 24 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy?
St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Alvaston Street, Alvaston, Derby, Derbyshire, DE24 0PA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)