Canon Johnson CofE Primary School
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Canon Johnson CofE Primary School is a converter academy in Ashton-under-Lyne for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 227 pupils, 17 more than it has places for. About 53 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 62 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 86% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
Elgin Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL7 9DD0161 330 3169canonjohnson.co.ukMiss Kirsty Pollard headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 24 May 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
29 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019† | 2018† | 2017† | Tameside | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 29 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 29 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 62% | 63% | 63% | 52% | 33% | 59% | 62% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 3% | 17% | 4% | 6% | 10% | 3% | 4% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 107.0 | 108.0 | 106.0 | 100.0 | 101.0 | 102.0 | 105.2 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 106.0 | 107.0 | 108.0 | 105.0 | 102.0 | 104.0 | 104.6 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 103.0 | 104.0 | 105.0 | 107.0 | 101.0 | 105.0 | 105.3 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 83% | 77% | 74% | 52% | 53% | 59% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 79% | 70% | 85% | 87% | 57% | 69% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 62% | 63% | 74% | 81% | 70% | 83% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -0.8 | -3.5 | -5.0 | -3.2 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | +3.3 | +0.5 | -3.2 | -0.8 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 62% | 69% | 45% | 36% | 14% | 65% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 63% | 59% | 75% | 65% | 50% | 50% | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
† These results are for Canon Johnson CofE Primary School, the school this one replaced in January 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At the end of primary school, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
About 14 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 6% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
The last child to get a place lived 0.9 miles away in 2025, 0.7 miles away in 2021, 0.7 miles away in 2020. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. 26 families put it down as their first choice and 26 of them got in (100%).
| Entry | Places | Put it first | Applied at all | Got a place | First choices who got in | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Primary | 30 | 26 | 54 | 30 | 100% | – | LA |
| 2025 Primary | 30 | 28 | 54 | 30 | 100% | 0.9 miles | LA |
| 2024 Primary | 30 | 21 | 49 | 21 | 100% | – all offered | LA |
| 2023 Primary | 30 | 23 | 61 | 29 | 100% | – all offered | LA |
| 2022 Primary | 30 | 22 | 66 | 25 | 100% | – all offered | LA |
| 2021 Primary | 30 | 31 | 65 | 30 | 97% | 0.7 miles | LA |
| 2020 Primary | 30 | – | – | 30 | – | 0.7 miles | LA |
The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.
What a home within 0.9 miles of the school costs
Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (23), Specific learning difficulty (15), emotional and mental health (12), Vision impairment (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Hearing impairment (1).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 227 | 222 | 225 | 220 | 228 | 235 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 51% | 44% | 41% | 31% | 30% | 32% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 21% | 22% | 21% | 18% | 17% | 18% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 13% | 14% | 21% | 17% | 14% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 5.2% | 6.2% | 5.8% | 6.8% | 3.5% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.9% | 4.1% | 2.8% | 4.4% | 2.1% | – | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.3% | 2.1% | 3.1% | 2.4% | 1.4% | – | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 13.7% | 14.9% | 14.2% | 21.5% | 7.0% | 8.1% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Trinity CofE Primary School | Church of England | 570 m | 233 | Good 2023 | 67 | Compare |
| Waterloo Primary School | Academy | 700 m | 293 | Report card 2026 | 13 | Compare |
| St James' Church of England Primary School | Academy | 770 m | 230 | Not inspected | 72 | Compare |
| Canon Burrows CofE Primary School | Church of England | 890 m | 431 | Good 2023 | 36 | Compare |
| Hurst Knoll St James' Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 900 m | 187 | Report card 2026 | 5 | Compare |
| The Heys Primary School | Council | 970 m | 226 | Good 2022 | 49 | Compare |
| Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Primary School, Ashton-under-Lyne | Roman Catholic | 0.6 miles | 235 | Good 2022 | 30 | Compare |
| Oasis Academy Broadoak | Academy | 0.7 miles | 420 | Report card 2026 | 17 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Canon Johnson CofE Primary School with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 62 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 62% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 37 to 82. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 25% | in line | -0.01 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 29 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.01 | Ofsted grade, 3.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | +0.04 | DfE progress measure; 29 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | -0.03 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | -0.02 | 2024/25; 182 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well above | +0.14 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 29 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Canon Johnson CofE Primary School a good school?
It is about average. Canon Johnson CofE Primary School scores 62 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 86% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 37 to 82, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Canon Johnson CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Canon Johnson CofE Primary School good at its last full inspection on 24 May 2023.
How good are Canon Johnson CofE Primary School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 62% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 3% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Canon Johnson CofE Primary School have?
227 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 108% full.
Is Canon Johnson CofE Primary School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 14 places were empty in 2024/25 (7% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Canon Johnson CofE Primary School?
Pupils were in school 94.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
Does Canon Johnson CofE Primary School have a breakfast club?
Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Elgin Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL7 9DD
- Telephone
- 0161 330 3169
- Website
- www.canonjohnson.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Miss Kirsty Pollard
- Free breakfast club
- Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England, Diocese of Manchester
- Multi-academy trust
- Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy Trust (17 schools)
- Local authority
- Tameside
- Ward
- Ashton Waterloo
- Constituency
- Ashton-under-Lyne
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 January 2019 (academy converter)
- URN
- 146716 · LAESTAB 3573311 · UKPRN 10082238
- Formerly
- Canon Johnson CofE Primary School
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Tameside council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- Breakfast club: DfE list of schools on the free breakfast club programme.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.