SchoolScoresIndependent school guide

St John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School

Voluntary aided school · Primary, ages 3 to 11 · Mixed · Roman Catholic · Nursery class

Cottage View, Landport, Portsmouth, PO1 1PX

023 9282 1055 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedGoodInspected 12 July 2022
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths83%England 62% · 2024/25
Pupils237Room for 210
First-choice applications per place1.647 for 30 places, September 2026

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 12 July 2022.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
Personal developmentOutstanding
Leadership and managementGood
Early yearsOutstanding
SafeguardingEffective

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

30 pupils in this year group.

83% — 29 points above the Portsmouth average, and 21 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolPortsmouthEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 83% 54% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths 13% 3% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading 93% 69% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing 83% 67% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths 87% 66% 74%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. 107 104 106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. 107 103 105
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time
50% 60% 70% 80% 90% England 2022/23: 60%England 2023/24: 61%England 2024/25: 62% This school 2022/23: 77%This school 2023/24: 70%This school 2024/25: 83% This school England 62% 2022/23 77% 2023/24 70% 2024/25 83%

Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Portsmouth. The national closing date for primary applications is 15 January, and offers are sent on 16 April.

How hard is it to get in?

For the September 2026 intake there were about 1.5 first-choice applications for every place.

Places offered30
Families who put it first47
Of those, offered a place30 (64%)
Families who listed it at all108

First-choice applications per place: 2024: 2.2 · 2025: 1.6 · 2026: 1.6

This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.

This is a Roman Catholic school. When it has more applicants than places it can give priority to families of the faith, for example those who can show regular worship. Check the school's admissions policy to see how places are allocated.

Admissions dates and schools in Portsmouth

Pupils, staff and SEND

PupilsThis schoolPortsmouthEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years
 30.1% 34.7%* 26.3%
With an education, health and care plan
 6.0% 4.2%* 3.5%
Receiving special educational needs support
 11.5% 14.1%* 15.0%
English as an additional language
 56.8% 24.2%* 23.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed)
 3.4% 5.2%* 5.2%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more)
 4.4% 12.8%* 13.0%
Suspensions per 100 pupils
 0.0 3.2 2.5
Pupils suspended at least once
 0.0% 1.1% 1.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.03% 0.03%
Pupils per teacher
 19.3 20.7 20.7
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff)
 9.8 9.7 10.6
Teachers who left during the year
 27.4% 14.3%* 14.4%*

Comparisons are with primary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

Nearby primary schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is St John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

St John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 12 July 2022.

How did St John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School do in its SATs?

In 2024/25, 83% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, 21 points above the England average of 62%.

Is St John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

For the September 2026 intake, 47 families put St John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School as their first choice for 30 places: about 1.5 first-choice applications for every place. 30 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.

Sources

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Page updated 26 September 2026.