St John's CofE Primary School, Manchester
St John's CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Manchester. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 104th-highest of the 258 schools in Manchester with published results, and 6,834th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- 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 Manchester (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St John's CofE Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at St John's CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 74% in Manchester and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (76% in reading, 85% in maths).
Getting a place at St John's CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 34 families put St John's CofE Primary School as their first choice and 84 named it as one of their preferences, for 34 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's CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St John's CofE Primary School are St Joseph's RC Primary School Manchester (0.2 miles, Good, 73% reading, 80% maths); Plymouth Grove Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 75% reading, 80% maths); St Agnes C of E Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 72% reading, 70% maths); and Stanley Grove Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 60% reading, 72% maths).
St John's CofE Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
St Joseph's RC Primary School ManchesterPlymouth Grove Primary SchoolSt Agnes C of E Primary SchoolStanley Grove Primary Academy
What parents say
17 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St John's CofE Primary School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 70% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (70%).
Who goes there
49.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 71.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (75%), Black (8%) and other ethnic groups (8%).
Staffing
St John's CofE Primary School had 27 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 Ardwick Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Clarence Road (cnr), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St John's CofE Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St John's CofE Primary School issued 6 suspensions, 1.3 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 CofE Primary School are Dean Trust Ardwick (0.3 miles), St Peter's RC High School (0.6 miles), Co-op Academy Belle Vue (0.8 miles) and Manchester Enterprise Academy Central (0.8 miles).
Dean Trust ArdwickSt Peter's RC High SchoolCo-op Academy Belle VueManchester Enterprise Academy Central
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 January 2020, 6 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St John's creates a warm, inclusive community where all pupils - including those joining mid-year - thrive and feel valued. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and deliver lessons clearly, with excellent support for reading from Reception onwards. The school goes beyond academics to inspire children through enriching trips, meaningful roles in school life, and inspiring role models, helping pupils see their potential.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between pupils, families and school create a respectful, caring community
- Ambitious curriculum carefully designed with important knowledge building blocks
- Excellent phonics teaching and reading programme - most Year 6 pupils are fluent, confident readers
- Effective support for pupils with SEND - needs quickly identified and adapted teaching provided
- Rich enrichment opportunities including trips, clubs and roles that inspire pupils to believe they can achieve anything
Areas for Improvement
- In a few subjects, teaching activities are not always the most effective for pupils to learn content deeply enough
- Some pupils have persistently high absence rates despite school efforts, causing them to miss important learning and experiences
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Football, gardening, yoga, choir, sporting competitions with other schools, museum and art gallery trips, farm and zoo visits
St John's CofE Primary School has maintained good standards since its previous inspection. Pupils enjoy a respectful and caring community where they work hard to achieve well, with strong support for those with additional needs.
At a Glance
49.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
17 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 remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.4
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
27.0
KS2
16
Total classes
3 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's CofE Primary School
Before and after school care
St John's CofE Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Manchester
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St John's CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St John's CofE Primary School is in Manchester; for families living there:
Apply to Manchester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 51
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 16
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 51 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 16 serious and 33 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 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 Primary School
Will you get a place at St John's CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St John's CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St John's CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St John's CofE Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Manchester, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St John's CofE Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Manchester 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
99%
Near capacity
418 pupils
420 places
2 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Manchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Manchester
Across Manchester council
Places available
7,530
Applications
5,736
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Manchester council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
72
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
18.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
455
Total Pupils
228
Boys
227
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
27
Teachers
16.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,889
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,165
Per pupil
£3047k
Total funding
£303k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.1%
Overall absence
21.2%
Persistent absence
382
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 CofE Primary School
Questions parents ask about St John's CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at St John's CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at St John's CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is St John's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St John's CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St John's CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St John's CofE Primary School is oversubscribed, Manchester 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 Primary School?
St John's CofE Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St John's CofE Primary School?
Classes at St John's CofE Primary School average 28.4 pupils (2025/26). 3 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 CofE Primary School?
St John's CofE Primary School has around 455 pupils on roll. 49% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St John's CofE Primary School?
6.1% of sessions were missed at St John's CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 21.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St John's CofE Primary School?
Apply through Manchester's coordinated admissions process, naming St John's CofE 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 CofE Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St John's CofE Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near St John's CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 51 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 16 serious and 33 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St John's CofE Primary School?
St John's CofE Primary School is at Clarence Road, Longsight, Manchester, M13 0YE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)