Free schools · Hertfordshire

Watford St John's Church of England Primary School

4–11Ages
401Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Church of England/ChristianReligious character
142221URN

32 Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1JJ · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Feb 2025 Previous framework

No overall grade given

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.0per place

0.5 below Hertfordshire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Hertfordshire

108 applications for 53 places · 245th of 314 in Hertfordshire

Every year since 2017

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

67%met the expected standard

Hertfordshire 67% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Graded inspection · 25 February 2025Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024). Between September 2024 and November 2025 Ofsted graded areas but gave no overall grade.
Area	Good	Requires improvement
Quality of education		Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes	Good
Personal development	Good
Leadership and management		Requires improvement
Early years provision		Requires improvement

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.0applications per place, Reception

0.5 below Hertfordshire median (2.6) close to England median (2.2)

108 applications · 53 places offered · 41 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 2.0; Hertfordshire median median 2.6
2025 2.6; Hertfordshire median median 2.6
2024 2.3; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2023 2.5; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2022 2.5; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2021 2.1; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2020 3.1; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2019 2.3; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2018 2.3; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2017 2.3; Hertfordshire median median 2.6

This school
Hertfordshire median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	53	108	2.0	41	0.77
Sep 2025	60	155	2.6	64	1.07
Sep 2024	55	127	2.3	49	0.89
Sep 2023	57	140	2.5	50	0.88
Sep 2022	56	138	2.5	45	0.80
Sep 2021	59	126	2.1	56	0.95
Sep 2020	60	186	3.1	55	0.92
Sep 2019	60	138	2.3	54	0.90
Sep 2018	60	139	2.3	63	1.05
Sep 2017	29	67	2.3	19	0.66

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 80% · Writing 78% · Maths 72% → all three 67% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard67%156th of 331 in Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire 67% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard80%

Hertfordshire 80% England 78%

Higher standard45%

Hertfordshire 38% England 33%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard78%

Hertfordshire 75% England 75%

Greater depth17%

Hertfordshire 14% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard72%

Hertfordshire 79% England 77%

Higher standard42%

Hertfordshire 30% England 24%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Hertfordshire median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	67%	13%	106	106
2023/24	43%	14%	103	102
2022/23	54%	0%	104	101

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Watford St John's Church of England Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.0applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
Central Primary School
0.4 km · Hertfordshire

2026

2.0applications per place 69%met the SATs standard
Chater Junior School
0.7 km · Hertfordshire

Graded · no overall grade2024

63%met the SATs standard
Lanchester Primary School
0.8 km · Hertfordshire

Standards maintained2024

4.1applications per place 73%met the SATs standard
Chater Infant School
0.9 km · Hertfordshire

Remains Good · improving2024

2.7applications per place
Field Junior School
1.0 km · Hertfordshire

Standards maintained2024

85%met the SATs standard
Watford Field School (Infant & Nursery)
1.0 km · Hertfordshire

2026

2.6applications per place
Laurance Haines School
1.5 km · Hertfordshire

Standards maintained2025

2.8applications per place 70%met the SATs standard
Knutsford Primary Academy
1.6 km · Hertfordshire

Good2023

3.0applications per place 72%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Free schools
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 142221 · 919/2051
Trust: Poppy Academy Trust
Religious character: Church of England/Christian
Capacity: 420 pupils · 401 on roll
Free school meals: 12.7% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 7 September 2016
Address: 32 Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1JJ
Local authority: Hertfordshire · Watford

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources