St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School, London
St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in London. It has a Church of England religious character. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, ended in a report card: 3 strong standard and 4 expected standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in February 2012. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 628th-highest of the 959 schools in London with published results, and 6,288th of 14,452 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted report card
- 3 of 7 areas strong or better
- 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 Islington (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 30 June 2026 inspection grades St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School on 7 areas: 3 strong standard and 4 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders have high expectations of pupils' attendance that they share openly with parents and carers."
Early years - Strong standard. "Early years is truly the welcoming start to school that leaders aspire to."
Inclusion - Strong standard. "This is a truly inclusive school."
Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The curriculum is ambitious and well designed."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, and those responsible for governance, know the school well."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's Christian ethos, as well as its embedded values, underpins an inclusive personal development curriculum."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue their work to strengthen their analysis of aspects of the school's provision, including, for example, the impact of staff training and the personal development offer"; "Leaders should ensure that the checks made on pupils' learning in subjects other than English and mathematics are precise. This will help to ensure that teaching does not move on before pupils have fully embedded their previous learning".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 80% and 78% in Islington and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 84% in reading and 92% 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 Upper Holloway CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 12 families put St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School as their first choice and 58 named it as one of their preferences, for 17 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 Upper Holloway CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School are Yerbury Primary School (0.1 miles, Outstanding, 86% reading, 78% maths); Hargrave Park School (0.3 miles, Good, 79% reading, 84% maths); Brookfield Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 78% reading, 61% maths); and Duncombe Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 88% reading, 87% maths).
St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Yerbury Primary SchoolHargrave Park SchoolBrookfield Primary SchoolDuncombe Primary School
Who goes there
51% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 36.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (29%), White British (22%) and Mixed (19%).
In 2026, 59 pupils (28.6%) received SEN support and 9 (4.4%) 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 autism.
Staffing
St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School had 12 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 Upper Holloway Rail Station, about 270 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Elthorne Road, 220 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School issued 8 suspensions, 3.8 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 Upper Holloway CofE Primary School are City of London Academy, Highgate Hill (0.4 miles); Acland Burghley School (0.5 miles); St Aloysius' College (0.6 miles); and Lift Beacon High (0.6 miles).
City of London Academy, Highgate HillAcland Burghley SchoolSt Aloysius' CollegeLift Beacon High
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); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Early yearsStrong standard
- InclusionStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School
St John's Upper Holloway is a caring and welcoming school. One of the school's shared principles is: 'as we are nurtured, so we will flourish'. This is fully realised through the unwavering support that pupils and their families receive from the moment they start in early years. The school's values of love, truthfulness, friendship, courage, thankfulness, creativity and perseverance are seamlessly woven through all aspects of daily life and seen through pupils' behaviour and interactions with staff around the school. Routines and expectations are clear and consistently applied. There is a warm and friendly start to each morning, with both staff and families greeting each other with respect and kindness. Pupils are kept safe and feel safe in school. They know there are always staff available to talk with and who will help them should they need it. Playtimes and lunchtimes are happy and cooperative times where pupils and staff enjoy positive relationships. For example, older pupils actively include their younger peers in their play and help them to resolve any minor disagreements they may have. Pupils do well here; high expectations and consistent routines help ensure that lessons are focused on learning. Pupils are keen and try hard across the curriculum. They are typically well prepared for their future learning. Pupils value the wider opportunities that are available to them. They speak enthusiastically about their residential visit, in-year trips, and activities such as netball, art and choir. Pupils really are the focus of all aspects of the school's work, with a clear commitment by leaders to close any gaps in pupils' learning and prepare them well for life in modern Britain.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should continue their work to strengthen their analysis of aspects of the school's provision, including, for example, the impact of staff training and the personal development offer.
- Leaders should ensure that the checks made on pupils' learning in subjects other than English and mathematics are precise. This will help to ensure that teaching does not move on before pupils have fully embedded their previous learning.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 30 June 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St John's is a wonderfully inclusive school where every child is known and valued, with particularly strong support for pupils with additional needs and disadvantaged backgrounds. The school excels at creating a calm, purposeful environment where children develop excellent resilience and independence. Reading and mathematics outcomes are strong, with disadvantaged pupils outperforming national figures, and the Early Years provision is exceptional, ensuring children arrive in Year 1 well-prepared and confident.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional inclusive practice with highly tailored support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, who outperform national figures
- Strong attendance rates, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
- Calm, purposeful behavior throughout school with excellent pupil resilience and independence
- High-quality Early Years provision with very good progress and strong preparation for Year 1
- Excellent pastoral support and personal development curriculum rooted in Christian values and social justice
Areas for Improvement
- Writing outcomes not as embedded as reading and mathematics - school has undertaken significant work to address this
- Curriculum in subjects beyond English and mathematics not as consistently embedded, with pupils not developing the same depth of understanding
- Assessment checks in non-core subjects are not as precise, sometimes leading to teaching moving on before learning is fully embedded
- Leadership analysis of whole-school performance could be more comprehensive alongside their strong focus on individual pupil needs
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture where all legal requirements are fulfilled and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Local community events, equality and diversity opportunities, social justice projects, neurodiversity awareness project with local football club
St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School is a truly inclusive school with a strong Christian ethos that prioritizes the wellbeing and development of all pupils, particularly those with additional needs and disadvantaged backgrounds. The school creates a calm, purposeful learning environment where pupils thrive academically and personally.
At a Glance
51.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 92% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 88% to 62% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.9
Avg class size
25.3
Infant (KS1)
24.0
KS2
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School.
- Yerbury Extended School Services300m away · Not yet graded
- Pro Touch Tufnell Park Primary950m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Islington's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School is in Islington; for families living there:
Apply to Islington for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 141
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 20
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 141 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 20 serious and 121 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
24 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 Islington is 143 (the median across 70 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 Upper Holloway CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School.
- Islington publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Islington 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
86%
Available places
181 pupils
210 places
29 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Islington council
Places available
1,760
Applications
1,683
Got 1st preference
79.4%
Got preferred school
95.8%
All primary applications across Islington council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
59
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
33.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
206
Total Pupils
105
Boys
101
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
17.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,134
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,508
Per pupil
£1537k
Total funding
£138k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.0%
Overall absence
14.5%
Persistent absence
165
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 Upper Holloway CofE Primary School
Questions parents ask about St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School is oversubscribed, Islington allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School?
St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School?
Classes at St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School average 22.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School?
St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School has around 206 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School?
6% of sessions were missed at St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 14.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School?
Apply through Islington's coordinated admissions process, naming St John's Upper Holloway 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 Upper Holloway CofE Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School: Yerbury Extended School Services (300m away, registered, not yet graded) and Pro Touch Tufnell Park Primary (950m 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's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 141 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 20 serious and 121 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 24 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 Islington is 143 (the median across 70 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School?
St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School is at Pemberton Gardens, Upper Holloway, London, N19 5RR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)