St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Newbury
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Newbury. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 14th-highest of the 21 schools in Newbury with published results, and 8,749th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to West Berkshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 71% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 71% in West Berkshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 70% in reading and 87% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 34 families put St Joseph's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 66 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 6 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School are The Winchcombe School (0.4 miles, Good, 72% reading, 79% maths); Speenhamland School (0.5 miles, Good, 66% reading, 70% maths); Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School (0.8 miles, Requires improvement, 80% reading, 60% maths); and St Nicolas C.E. Junior School (0.8 miles, Good, 83% reading, 69% maths).
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
The Winchcombe SchoolSpeenhamland SchoolShaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary SchoolSt Nicolas C.E. Junior School
Who goes there
6.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 64.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (44%), White British (22%) and Black (12%).
In 2026, 34 pupils (13.8%) received SEN support and 5 (2%) 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 Newbury Racecourse Rail Station, about 970 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Shaw Road Foot (sw-bound), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 276 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Berkshire (26), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.8 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 School are Trinity School (0.5 miles) and St Bartholomew's School (1.2 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from September 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
6.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 70% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 87% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 63% to 58% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
31.2
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
31.7
KS2
6
Total classes
4 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 School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Joseph's Catholic Primary School.
- Funtastic Kids @ St Joseph'sAt the school · Not yet graded
- Let Them Play Newbury570m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is in West Berkshire; for families living there:
Apply to West Berkshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 30
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 30 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 26 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 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 West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 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 School
Will you get a place at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joseph's Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from West Berkshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in West Berkshire 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
101%
Over capacity
212 pupils
210 places
2 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Newbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newbury
Across West Berkshire council
Places available
2,024
Applications
1,547
Got 1st preference
90.8%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across West Berkshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
34
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
15.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
246
Total Pupils
123
Boys
123
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
24.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,115
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,534
Per pupil
£1271k
Total funding
£21k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
10.9%
Persistent absence
192
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 School
Questions parents ask about St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 71% did so in maths.
What is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, West Berkshire 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 School?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School average 31.2 pupils (2025/26). 4 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 School?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School has around 246 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
4.5% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 10.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through West Berkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's Catholic Primary School 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 School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Funtastic Kids @ St Joseph's (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 30 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 26 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 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 West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is at Newport Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2AW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)