St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy, Dewsbury
St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Dewsbury, part of Blessed Peter Snow Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 12 schools in Dewsbury with published results, and 5,291st of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kirklees (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 81% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Kirklees and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (78% in reading, 84% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 29 families put St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy as their first choice and 77 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy are Carlton Junior and Infant School (0.3 miles, Good); Purlwell Infant and Nursery School (0.5 miles); Manorfield Infant and Nursery School (0.5 miles); and Staincliffe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School (0.5 miles, Good, 62% reading, 69% maths).
St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Carlton Junior and Infant SchoolPurlwell Infant and Nursery SchoolManorfield Infant and Nursery SchoolStaincliffe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School
The trust
St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy is one of 14 schools run by Blessed Peter Snow Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
36.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 50% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (44%), Asian (28%) and Mixed (11%).
In 2026, 26 pupils (12.3%) received SEN support and 4 (1.9%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Dewsbury Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Thorncliffe Road, 270 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 442 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kirklees (153), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy issued 6 suspensions, 2.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy are St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.5 miles), Westborough High School (0.5 miles) and Heckmondwike Grammar School (1 mile).
St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary AcademyWestborough High SchoolHeckmondwike Grammar School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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; 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
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in October 2021. Before that, as St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Dewsbury) (URN 107733), it was rated Requires Improvement in February 2018.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are safe and well cared for at this school. Families speak highly of the warm and positive atmosphere that staff provide. Adults listen to pupils and are always on hand to help and support them.
The school has a positive approach to managing behaviour. Adults encourage pupils, who in turn want to try their best while they are at school. Pupils understand the core values that are central to their school. They behave respectfully to one another. The school's clear rules and routines help to create calm classrooms, where pupils can focus on their learning.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has successfully developed a positive reading culture. Pupils at the school enjoy reading and recognise why it is important to practise. Pupils at the early stages of reading benefit from the schools structured approach to help them learn to read new words. For those younger pupils at risk of falling behind, support is in place to help them to catch up. Books that pupils read are well matched to the sounds they know. Leaders have developed a sequenced reading curriculum that continues into key stage 2. This ensures that most pupils develop the knowledge they need to become confident readers in readiness for secondary school.
In core subjects such as mathematics and reading, staff make checks on what pupils know and remember. However, on occasion, staff do not address promptly the gaps and misunderstandings that some pupils develop in their learning. This means that some pupils, including those with SEND, move on to new learning before they are ready.
From Ofsted's September 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
36.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.3
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
31.0
KS2
7
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy
Before and after school care
St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy 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 Kirklees
Term dates
St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Kirklees's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy is in Kirklees; for families living there:
- Kirklees's school travel policy: School transport
- How to apply: Apply for school travel support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 31
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 23 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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 Kirklees is 12 (the median across 203 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 Primary Academy
Will you get a place at St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kirklees, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy for 2022 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Kirklees 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
98%
Near capacity
213 pupils
218 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dewsbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dewsbury
Across Kirklees council
Places available
5,437
Applications
4,554
Got 1st preference
93.8%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Kirklees council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
26
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
14.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
212
Total Pupils
102
Boys
110
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
21.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,393
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,789
Per pupil
£1369k
Total funding
£114k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.5%
Overall absence
19.0%
Persistent absence
195
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 Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 81% did so in maths.
What is St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in October 2021. Before that, as St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Dewsbury) (URN 107733), it was rated Requires Improvement in February 2018.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Kirklees 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 Primary Academy?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy average 30.3 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy has around 212 pupils on roll. 37% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy?
6.5% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy in 2024/25. 19% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy?
Apply through Kirklees's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy 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 Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy 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 Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 23 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Kirklees is 12 (the median across 203 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy is at Healds Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, WF13 4HY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)