St John's Catholic Primary School, Horsham
St John's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Horsham. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 21st-highest of the 26 schools in Horsham with published results, and 8,234th of 14,452 across England. It was 96% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- 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 West Sussex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St John's Catholic Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at St John's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 72% in West Sussex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 83% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St John's Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 18 families put St John's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 66 named it as one of their preferences, for 22 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's Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St John's Catholic Primary School are Arunside School, Horsham (under 0.1 miles, Good, 81% reading, 86% maths); Greenway Junior School (0.5 miles, Good, 81% reading, 73% maths); St Mary's CofE (Aided) Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 93% reading, 90% maths); and Trafalgar Community Infant School (0.7 miles, Good).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St John's Catholic Primary School.
Arunside School, HorshamGreenway Junior SchoolSt Mary's CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolTrafalgar Community Infant School
Who goes there
7.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 26.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (52%), Asian (11%) and Mixed (9%).
Staffing
St John's Catholic Primary School had 13 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Horsham Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Arunside (opposite), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 272 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St John's Catholic Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St John's Catholic Primary School are Tanbridge House School (0.4 miles), Millais School (1.5 miles) and The Forest School (1.5 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from March 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
7.9%
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 declined from 83% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 57% to 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.0
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
30.5
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
Latest from St John's Catholic Primary School
St. John’s Catholic Primary School Newsletter 4 - 2nd October 2026
2 Oct 2026
St. John’s Catholic Primary School Newsletter 3 - 25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
St. John’s Catholic Primary School Newsletter 2 - 18th September 2026
18 Sep 2026
St. John’s Catholic Primary School Newsletter 1 - 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
St. John’s Catholic Primary School Newsletter 36 - 17th July 2026
17 Jul 2026
St. John’s Catholic Primary School Newsletter 35 - 10th July 2026
10 Jul 2026
From St John's Catholic Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St John's Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St John's Catholic Primary School.
- ZigZag Out of School Club (Arunside)At the school · Not yet graded
- ZigZag Out of School Club (St Johns)At the school · Not yet graded
- VIM Clubs900m away · Not yet graded
- Learning Potential Tuition960m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St John's Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see West Sussex's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St John's Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St John's Catholic Primary School is in West Sussex; for families living there:
Apply to West Sussex for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 13 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
3 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 West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 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's Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St John's Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St John's Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St John's Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St John's Catholic Primary School.
- West Sussex publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St John's Catholic Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St John's Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in West Sussex 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
96%
Near capacity
201 pupils
209 places
8 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Horsham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Horsham
Across West Sussex council
Places available
9,608
Applications
8,127
Got 1st preference
92.4%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across West Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
24
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
15.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
203
Total Pupils
101
Boys
102
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
15.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,472
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,314
Per pupil
£1134k
Total funding
£17k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
10.6%
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's Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St John's Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St John's Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St John's Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is St John's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St John's Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St John's Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St John's Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, West Sussex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St John's Catholic Primary School?
St John's Catholic Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St John's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St John's Catholic Primary School average 29 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's Catholic Primary School?
St John's Catholic Primary School has around 203 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St John's Catholic Primary School?
5% of sessions were missed at St John's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 10.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St John's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through West Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming St John's 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.
Does St John's Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs at the school: ZigZag Out of School Club (Arunside) (registered, not yet graded) and ZigZag Out of School Club (St Johns) (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St John's Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 13 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 3 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 West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St John's Catholic Primary School?
St John's Catholic Primary School is at Blackbridge Lane, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1RR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)