St John’s CofE Primary Academy, Newcastle Review 2026: High-attaining village primary with wraparound and nursery

A small village primary where academic outcomes are a genuine strength, and day-to-day routines are built around clear values. The school serves pupils aged 3 to 11, with a nursery for 3-year-olds and wraparound care that starts early and finishes late enough for many working families.

Results place the school well above England averages at the end of Key Stage 2, with 87.7% reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in 2024, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 37% reached greater depth, compared with 8% across England.

Leadership is structured with a Head of School and an Executive Principal, a model often used within multi-academy trusts. Since 01 November 2024 the setting has operated as an academy within St Bart’s Multi-Academy Trust.

The school’s identity is explicitly Church of England, and its day-to-day language leans on Christian framing rather than generic “values talk”. The website foregrounds John 10:10 and positions faith as something that shapes how pupils treat one another, not simply a weekly assembly theme.

The most recent graded inspection evidence (for the predecessor school, before academy conversion) described pupils as happy, and highlighted calm relationships and a respectful culture linked to Christian values. It also noted that pupils are keen to learn and respond well to raised expectations, especially in reading.

A practical detail that tells you a lot about daily life is the structure around participation beyond lessons. The school runs Breakfast Club from 7:50am and Afterschool Club until 5:30pm, which tends to create a longer, steadier day for families who need it, and a more consistent “end of day” feel for pupils who stay for clubs.

Nursery is part of the offer from age 3. For many families locally, that creates a softer transition into Reception, but it is worth knowing that nursery attendance does not give priority for a Reception place.

For a state primary, the headline numbers are striking.

In 2024, 87.7% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 37% reached greater depth, compared with 8% across England.

Scaled scores add more texture. Reading was 110 and grammar, punctuation and spelling was 110, both well above the typical national midpoint of 100. Mathematics was 107, still comfortably strong.

On FindMySchool’s rankings (based on official data), the school is ranked 944th in England for primary outcomes and 12th locally in the Newcastle area. That places it well above England average overall, in the top 10% of schools in England.

For parents comparing options, this is the kind of profile where the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool are genuinely useful, because the gap between “good local school” and “consistently high-attaining school” shows up clearly when you put results side by side.

The inspection evidence points to a school in active curriculum development rather than one resting on legacy strengths. The June 2023 report described a substantial curriculum review, with leaders redesigning subjects so that learning builds over time and takes account of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It also highlighted improvements in early reading, delivered by trained staff, with a noticeable uplift in reading fluency.

Where this matters for families is expectation management. Strong KS2 outcomes can come from a narrow focus, but the inspection narrative suggests leaders were trying to secure breadth as well as standards, and to tighten sequencing and assessment practice across subjects. The same report flagged that formal assessment and feedback were not consistently helping pupils understand next steps, and that presentation and handwriting were acting as barriers for some pupils.

For pupils, the “so what” is straightforward. If your child responds well to clear teaching routines and thrives when staff use questioning to pick up misconceptions quickly, this style can suit. If your child needs more scaffolding around organisation and presentation, it is sensible to ask how handwriting and editing expectations look now, because this was a stated improvement priority.

As a primary (3 to 11), the main transition point is into Year 7.

Staffordshire operates coordinated admissions for state-funded schools, and secondary destinations will usually depend on home address, admissions criteria, and the pattern of local places available in a given year. The school’s published materials focus more on primary entry arrangements than on a named list of receiving secondaries, so it is worth asking directly which schools are the most common Year 7 destinations for recent cohorts.

If you are weighing up housing moves, use a distance and catchment tool to sense-check likely receiving schools alongside the primary shortlist, since the “next step” matters just as much as the KS2 snapshot.

This is an oversubscribed school by the most recent published demand figures with 46 applications for 29 offers in the measured year, a ratio of 1.59 applications per place.

Reception entry is shaped by a published admission number (PAN) of 30 and oversubscription criteria that prioritise, in order, children in care, exceptional medical or hardship circumstances, siblings, children living in the defined catchment area, then distance to the school gate measured in a straight line using the local authority’s GIS system.

For September 2026 entry (Reception), Staffordshire’s timeline is explicit: the online application window opens 01 November 2025, the closing date is 15 January 2026, and offers are issued 16 April 2026.

Nursery admissions are handled differently. The nursery policy states that applications for maintained nursery settings are processed by the school office, and that there are three admission dates at the start of each term (autumn, spring, summer). It also makes clear there is no right of appeal for nursery admissions, which is standard for non-statutory provision.

If you are trying to judge likelihood of entry, the FindMySchool Map Search is the practical next step, particularly because this school uses distance as a criterion once higher priorities are met, and oversubscription means small distance differences can matter.

The strongest pastoral indicators here are about culture, safeguarding clarity, and routines that make children feel secure.

The June 2023 inspection report stated that safeguarding arrangements were effective, and described a culture where pupils feel safe and know there is always an adult to talk to if worried. It also noted that leaders worked effectively with external agencies to secure early help when needed.

On the operational side, the school is explicit about safeguarding contacts and responsibilities, and names its Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) role at Head of School level, which typically helps with visibility and accountability.

Because this is a relatively small school, pastoral systems often depend on consistency and communication. The inspection evidence did flag that rapid change had been hard for some parents and staff, and that clearer communication would have eased the process. That is a useful prompt for questions at an open event: what has changed since academy conversion, and how are families kept informed day to day.

A good extracurricular programme in a primary is less about endless options and more about activities that feel purposeful, run consistently, and include lots of children.

The June 2023 report referenced “many clubs and activities” aligned to pupils’ interests, and noted enrichment visits, including museums, an airport, a pottery manufacturer and the theatre. It also stated that many pupils learn to play a musical instrument, which suggests music tuition is a normal part of the offer rather than a niche add-on.

From the school’s own site architecture, you can see some of the internal leadership and pupil voice structures that typically underpin wider life. Elements such as School Parliament, Head Pupils, Pupil Voice, and Reading Champions point to a school that tries to give children defined roles and responsibilities, rather than treating leadership as something only for Year 6 reward badges.

Reading is clearly a prominent thread. The school explicitly references Accelerated Reader, and inspection evidence also singled out early reading improvement. Put together, this suggests reading is treated as a whole-school discipline, not only a discrete English lesson outcome.

The school day is clearly published. Breakfast Club starts at 7:50am, lessons begin at 9:00am, and the school day ends at 3:20pm. Afterschool Club runs until 5:30pm, and the site states a total of 32.5 hours of education per week.

Wraparound care is bookable via ParentPay. Breakfast Club is £4.00, and Afterschool Club is £8.50, with a snack and drink included. The school also notes it can accept Tax-Free Childcare and some voucher arrangements, which is helpful for eligible families.

For travel, this is a Keele village setting, close to Keele University, so school-run transport is unlikely to be the default. Many families will be mixing walking, short car journeys, and local transport depending on where they live. Expect peak congestion around drop-off and pick-up, and ask about parking expectations if you will be driving regularly.

• The inspection baseline is for the predecessor school. The latest graded Ofsted inspection was in June 2023, before academy conversion in November 2024. If you want the most current picture, ask what has changed since conversion, particularly around curriculum sequencing, assessment practice and early years improvement.

• Strong results can come with higher expectations. With KS2 outcomes well above England averages, pupils may experience a more structured approach to reading, writing standards and practice routines than in some neighbouring schools. This suits many children, but it is worth checking how support is put in place for those who find pace or presentation expectations harder.

• Nursery does not guarantee Reception entry. Nursery provision starts at age 3 and can be a good bridge into school routines, but families still need to apply separately for Reception through the coordinated admissions process.

This is a small Church of England primary with a clear identity, practical wraparound provision, and an academic profile that stands out locally. Families who value strong KS2 outcomes, a reading-focused culture, and a faith-shaped ethos are likely to find it a good fit.

Who it suits: families in or near Keele who want a values-led primary with above-average attainment and workable childcare hours across the week. The main constraint is that entry is competitive, so planning around admissions timelines matters as much as shortlisting.