We know that local councils across London have difficult decisions to make, as school rolls are falling and there are more places and more schools than needed. But we don’t think our school is the right choice for a site closure. St John the Divine is a great school – we have a ‘good’ OFSTED and an ‘outstanding’ SIAMS. Our school budget is balanced, and despite being in a relatively deprived part of London, our educational outcomes are excellent.  For black African children in particular, our outcomes are exceptional, outperforming both the national and Lambeth KS1 averages (by 20% in reading, 16% in writing & 10% in maths).  We are inclusive and have (and continue to) welcomed many children with Special Educational Needs into our community.

But what makes a school great isn’t just about what is said on paper or about academic results – it is about people, and place. Read a bit more about our history and our vibrant community below. Come and visit our school, and you’ll discover a warm, joyful, safe place where all our children are much loved and staff to everything possible to meet their needs. But please know that parents, pupils, teaching staff, support staff, school governors, former pupils, our wider community and even our local parish priest – no-one wants our school site to close.

Please help us – we now have four weeks to #SaveOurSchool

Our school has a community history worth keeping

St John the Divine is a single-form school that is vital to the local community. We have been there for our community for over 150 years, have strong links with our parish church and provide a supportive and safe environment where children can grow and thrive. These vital bonds have been build over generations; we have staff and parents who were pupils at the school once.

We help our children get exceptional outcomes

St John the Divine outperforms both the Lambeth and National averages at key stage 1 & 2;  last year our Year 6 group were in the top 5% in the country for reading. Notably, our Black African children perform significantly better than the Lambeth key stage 1 average (Reading 89% vs 69%, writing 78% vs 62%, Maths 78% vs 68%). Our OFSTED less than a year ago noted ‘Leaders have high expectations of pupils’.

Beyond the excellent academics, many of our children are in the church choir, and performing to Cathedral music standards.  There is a risk that so much of this would be lost, were the school to be amalgamated.

Values are important to us. One pupil told our OFSTED inspectors last year ‘if you show the values, then it can start a chain of happiness across the school’. St John the Divine is a school that feels joyful and safe – where all can flourish and be all they can be.

This is despite serving an area with huge challenges

Our area is one of Britain’s toughest places to grow up. Two teenagers were killed in summer 2018 – one shot, one stabbed – by members of rival gangs, next to our school.

Saint John the Divine has a high proportion of pupils who receive free school meals, and who speak English as a second language and are not yet proficient in English. More than the Lambeth average school, and far more than the nationally average school.

OFSTED said our school ‘leaders know pupils and their families well. They are acutely aware of challenges in the local community and respond well to them. Staff teach pupils how to manage some of the risks they might face.’ They said staff were proud to be part of our school’s team.

You can perhaps see why our Chair of Governors called the decision to close our school, rather than many of the other options, ‘socially unjust’ in an interview with the BBC!

Our estate is has already had a school closure this year

Southwark has already closed a neighbouring primary school, Comber Grove Primary, this year. SJTD is already getting requests from Comber Grove Parents to admit their children into our school.  The timing of the proposed amalgamation by Lambeth could not be worse, for us, and for our community – we do not need another school in our area closed.  What message will be being sent to the Brandon and adjacent estates if, not one, but two local primaries are closed in quick succession, when schools contribute to community cohesion?

Our school is viable on its own

Unlike many primary schools in the area, we do not currently have a financial deficit or have debts- we have kept our books balanced. We don’t have debts. This is unusual for a school being proposed for amalgamation. St John’s has a Good OFSTED rating (2023), and an outstanding SIAMS rating. 

The school site is excellently maintained – despite it’s small size, there is a nature garden, outdoor table tennis, an early years outdoor kitchen and garden, and a stunning kitchen garden where children grow their own fruit and veg.  This is a place where children from challenging background find not just the requisite safety and care, but also love and hope.  There is no reason to amalgamate our school.