School Chooser

St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic198 pupilsSheffield
School Chooser Score
82
Above
similar schools
Likely range 59 to 92
Out of 100. Better than 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
Reached the expected level at 1181%England 63%
Attendance96.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families20%A bit fewer than most schools
Places12 spare198 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher21.1School workforce census
Pupils on roll198Census January 2026

St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy is a sponsored academy in Sheffield for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 198 pupils and room for 210. About 20 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 82 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it.

Spring Water Avenue, Hackenthorpe, Sheffield, S12 4HJ0114 248 5009st-johnfisher.orgMr Frank Barratt headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

32 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1181%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level9%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 59%59%20172018: 53%53%20182019: 66%66%20192023: 75%75%20232024: 78%78%20242025: 81%81%2025
Since 2017: +22%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017SheffieldEngland
Pupils tested323232323232
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths81%78%75%66%53%59%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths9%9%0%9%6%9%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0108.0106.0104.0104.0105.0104.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0106.0105.0104.0103.0102.0103.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0107.0106.0104.0103.0104.0104.4105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard84%91%78%69%69%75%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard81%88%88%72%69%63%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)84%88%81%78%84%88%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.4-1.7-1.2+0.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.5-2.1-1.8-2.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged57%33%57%50%33%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged88%85%68%54%65%

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.

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. None of the gaps is 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

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
57%88%
Gap 31 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
75%92%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
88%81%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%9%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

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 Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Full211 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
101% full

The school is full, with 1 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Sheffield council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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.

Pupils on roll198Census January 2026
Places21094% full
Pupils from low-income families20%20% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English21%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%36 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.45 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils40%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)20%£62,000 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls97 / 101
White British pupils59%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (21), Moderate learning difficulty (8), emotional and mental health (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Hearing impairment (1), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll198213212214211215
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals20%19%15%16%18%16%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language21%22%20%16%16%14%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%15%13%11%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%3%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school7.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.8%4.2%4.4%4.5%2.9%3.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.3%3.5%3.6%3.7%2.7%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.5%0.7%0.9%0.8%0.2%0.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence7.7%7.5%9.1%11.8%6.4%3.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.54.70.50.50.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers9.4full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher21.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,914
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher8.52024/25

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.

Spend per pupil£6,291England £7,128. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£6,371England £7,587. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,042England £3,405
Money in reserve-1%In the red: -£7,816, -£37 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£17kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,291spent per pupil

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

Crimes within 500 m36312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate104 per 1,000 people14% higher than the England average
Nearest bus stop180 mBirley Spa Lane/Spring Water Avenue, 17 stops within 500 m

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.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Birley Spa Primary AcademyAcademy430 m291Requires improvement 20233Compare
Rainbow Forge Primary AcademyAcademy0.7 miles347Good 20237Compare
Woodhouse West Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles366No overall grade 202417Compare
Birley Primary AcademyAcademy0.9 miles525Not inspected22Compare
Ridgeway Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 milesGood 2022Compare
Brunswick Community Primary SchoolFoundation1.4 miles459Good 202330Compare
Emmanuel Anglican/Methodist Junior SchoolAcademy1.4 miles159Good 202324Compare
Waterthorpe Infant SchoolCouncil1.4 miles123Good 20247Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats80%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 82 is 19 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 7 · middle 63 · highest 95100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 82 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 82% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 59 to 92. 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 atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%above
+0.13
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 32 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.06
DfE progress measure; 32 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.05
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.10
2024/25; 183 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.09
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 32 pupils
What parents say0%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 St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy scores 82 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 59 to 92, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

How good are St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 81% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 9% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy have?

198 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 94% full.

Is St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 1 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy?

Pupils were in school 96.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 8% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St John Fisher Primary, A Catholic Voluntary Academy?

The average class had 27.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 40% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Spring Water Avenue, Hackenthorpe, Sheffield, S12 4HJ
Telephone
0114 248 5009
Website
www.st-johnfisher.org
Headteacher
Mr Frank Barratt
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Hallam
Multi-academy trust
St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Trust (13 schools)
Local authority
Sheffield
Ward
Birley
Constituency
Sheffield South East
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 December 2013 (new provision)
URN
140025 · LAESTAB 3732017 · UKPRN 10042937
Formerly
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School

Where these figures come from