St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley, Chester le Street
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 7 in Chester le Street, part of Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was 73% full in 2025.
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Gateshead (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley in detail
Getting a place at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley
For September 2026 entry, 15 families put St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley as their first choice and 41 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley are St Joseph's Catholic Junior School, Birtley (0.4 miles, 94% reading, 94% maths); Ravensworth Terrace Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 80% reading, 78% maths); Birtley East Community Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 84% reading, 78% maths); and Portobello Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 77% reading, 81% maths).
St Joseph's Catholic Junior School, BirtleyRavensworth Terrace Primary SchoolBirtley East Community Primary SchoolPortobello Primary School
The trust
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley is one of 47 schools run by Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
16.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 17 pupils (25%) received SEN support and 3 (4.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Road, about 3 miles away in a straight line.
20 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Durham Road-Fire Station (n-bound), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 5th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in November 2021. Before that, as St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley (URN 108389), it was rated Good in May 2015.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school has high expectations for its pupils. The school has recently redesigned its curriculum to support pupils to move seamlessly into the next stage of their education at the end of Year 2. The content of the curriculum is ambitious. Pupils achieve well.
Staff have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. They create an environment where pupils treat everyone with respect and dignity. Pupils follow instructions swiftly and show kindness to each other. Children in the early years take turns and share toys respectfully with one another. Pupils enjoy playing with the new scooters and resources at lunchtime. They use them with care and consideration.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school sequences its curriculum well to build pupils' knowledge and skills from the early years upwards. Leaders make sure that there is continuity in the curriculum between the infant and junior schools. The school provides a clear cycle of training for staff. This enables them to deliver the curriculum with confidence. The school prepares pupils well for the next stage of their educational journey in the junior school.
The school uses a 'take three approach' at the start of each lesson. Pupils recap learning from three different phases, such as the last lesson, the last week and the previous term. This helps many pupils to remember important knowledge. However, this is not used to consistent effect. On occasions, some pupils struggle to recall the essential knowledge in their current topic.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
At a Glance
16.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
22.7
Avg class size
22.7
Infant (KS1)
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley
Before and after school care
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Gateshead
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley is in Gateshead; for families living there:
Apply to Gateshead for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 21
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 19 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Gateshead is 11 (the median across 93 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley
Will you get a place at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Gateshead, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley for 2022 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Gateshead got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
73%
Available places
66 pupils
90 places
24 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chester le Street
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chester le Street
Across Gateshead council
Places available
2,494
Applications
1,785
Got 1st preference
98.1%
Got preferred school
99.8%
All primary applications across Gateshead council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
17
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
29.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
68
Total Pupils
29
Boys
39
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
11.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£41,227
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,217
Per pupil
£532k
Total funding
£27k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.7%
Overall absence
4.8%
Persistent absence
42
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley
Questions parents ask about St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley
What is St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in November 2021. Before that, as St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley (URN 108389), it was rated Good in May 2015.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley is oversubscribed, Gateshead allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley?
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley was not full in 2025: it ran at 73% of its 90 places.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley average 22.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley?
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley has around 68 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley?
3.7% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley in 2024/25. 4.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley?
Apply through Gateshead's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 19 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Gateshead is 11 (the median across 93 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley?
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley is at Mitchell Street, Birtley, Chester le Street, County Durham, DH3 1LU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)