St John's CofE Academy, Sandbach
St John's CofE Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Sandbach, part of North West Academies Trust Limited. It has a Church of England religious character. It was 76% full in 2025.
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cheshire East (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St John's CofE Academy in detail
St John's CofE Academy in its own words
In its own words: "At St John’s, we are proud to be a Church of England school where every child is nurtured to grow in character, confidence, and compassion. Rooted in Christian values, our school is a place where light shines-in learning, relationships, and community life."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include choir, Lego, eco club and art.
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Coming up: an open evening on Thursday 7 January 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Cheshire East
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
St John's CofE Academy has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2025, as St John's CofE Primary School (URN 111334), 61% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 64% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
Getting a place at St John's CofE Academy
For September 2026 entry, 12 families put St John's CofE Academy as their first choice and 20 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 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 CofE Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St John's CofE Academy are Offley Primary Academy (1 mile, Good, 85% reading, 85% maths); Sandbach Primary Academy (1.2 miles, Good, 75% reading, 75% maths); Wheelock Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 82% reading, 67% maths); and Elworth Hall Primary School (1.8 miles, 78% reading, 67% maths).
Offley Primary AcademySandbach Primary AcademyWheelock Primary SchoolElworth Hall Primary School
The trust
St John's CofE Academy is one of 14 schools run by North West Academies Trust Limited, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
1.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 13 pupils (8.4%) received SEN support and 10 (6.5%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sandbach Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St John's CE Primary School (near), 60 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
St John's CofE Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St John's CofE Academy are Sandbach School (1.2 miles) and Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College (1.3 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data; GIAS establishment links; 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
St John's CofE Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in January 2025. Before that, as St John's CofE Primary School (URN 111334), it was rated Inadequate in September 2023.
At a Glance
18.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
22.0
Avg class size
21.7
Infant (KS1)
22.3
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
Results at St John's CofE Primary School before it took its current form in 2025 (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25Published for St John's CofE Primary School (URN 111334), the school St John's CofE Academy replaced. There are no figures for St John's CofE Academy yet, so these are shown separately.
KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 55% to 61% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 15% to 64% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 5% to 61% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St John's CofE Academy
Maths, Painting and fantastic writing!
2 Oct 2026
Science zoo trip
2 Oct 2026
A Busy Week of Learning!
1 Oct 2026
Reception
30 Sep 2026
Investigating Plants
30 Sep 2026
This week in Radcliffe
26 Sep 2026
From St John's CofE Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St John's CofE Academy
Term dates
St John's CofE Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Cheshire East's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St John's CofE Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St John's CofE Academy is in Cheshire East; for families living there:
- Cheshire East's school travel policy: Compulsory school age travel policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were 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 Cheshire East is 6 (the median across 180 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 CofE Academy
Will you get a place at St John's CofE Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St John's CofE Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St John's CofE Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St John's CofE Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cheshire East, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St John's CofE Academy for 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cheshire East 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
76%
Available places
159 pupils
210 places
51 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Sandbach
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sandbach
Across Cheshire East council
Places available
4,535
Applications
3,733
Got 1st preference
92.3%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Cheshire East council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
13
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
14.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
154
Total Pupils
81
Boys
73
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
19.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£43,656
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,525
Per pupil
£1037k
Total funding
£50k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.1%
Overall absence
18.0%
Persistent absence
150
Enrolments
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 CofE Academy
Questions parents ask about St John's CofE Academy
Are there exam results for St John's CofE Academy?
St John's CofE Academy has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2025, as St John's CofE Primary School (URN 111334), 61% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 64% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
What is St John's CofE Academy's Ofsted rating?
St John's CofE Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in January 2025. Before that, as St John's CofE Primary School (URN 111334), it was rated Inadequate in September 2023.
What is the catchment area for St John's CofE Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St John's CofE Academy is oversubscribed, Cheshire East allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St John's CofE Academy?
St John's CofE Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 76% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St John's CofE Academy?
Classes at St John's CofE Academy average 22 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St John's CofE Academy?
St John's CofE Academy has around 154 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St John's CofE Academy?
8.1% of sessions were missed at St John's CofE Academy in 2024/25. 18% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St John's CofE Academy?
Apply through Cheshire East's coordinated admissions process, naming St John's CofE 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.
How many road collisions happen near St John's CofE Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were 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 Cheshire East is 6 (the median across 180 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St John's CofE Academy?
St John's CofE Academy is at Heath Road, Sandbach, Cheshire, CW11 2LE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)