St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Plymouth

Good
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 211

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~465m)Possible (~664m)Unlikely (~863m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Roisin Wright
Pupils:201 / 236 capacity
LA:Plymouth
Phone:01752563185
Address:Chapel Street, Devonport, Plymouth, PL1 4DJ
Trust:PLYMOUTH CAST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 April 2014

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:140764
UKPRN:10045629
Diocese:Diocese of Plymouth
Constituency:Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

St Joseph's provides excellent opportunities for personal development through activities like archery, rowing and curling, helping pupils build confidence and try new skills. The school has created a caring, inclusive environment where pupils enjoy warm relationships with staff and feel safe. Teachers are well-supported, and the school prioritises pastoral care with staff trained to help pupils experiencing anxiety or trauma.

Key Strengths

  • Strong personal development programme with high-quality enrichment activities and residential visits
  • Effective safeguarding culture where pupils feel safe and supported
  • Good early reading outcomes in Year 1 phonics screening check, now exceeding national average
  • Caring school environment with warm relationships between staff and pupils
  • Effective pastoral support and staff training for pupils experiencing trauma or anxiety

Areas for Improvement

  • Teaching quality is inconsistent, leading to uneven pupil progress across the curriculum
  • Too few pupils reach expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics by end of Year 6
  • Pupil attendance remains below national average, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
  • Early years teaching lacks consistency and children's learning activities sometimes lack clear purpose
  • Pupils with SEND do not always have access to a curriculum adapted to meet their needs

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met. Leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Archery, rowing, curling, competitive sports, residential visits

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a caring environment where pupils enjoy school and benefit from a well-considered personal development programme. However, the school needs to improve teaching consistency and pupil achievement, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics.

At a Glance

23.9%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-1ppMaths+3ppWriting+6pp

Reading has remained stable at around 67%. Maths has remained stable at around 67%. Writing has improved from 71% to 77%.

Class Sizes

28.1

Avg class size

26.7

Infant (KS1)

29.3

KS2

7

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Chapel Street (NW-bound)
65m · 1 min walk
Fore Street Car Park (W-bound)
98m · 2 min walk
Devonport Forum (E-bound)
114m · 2 min walk
Granby Way (S-bound)
250m · 4 min walk
Ker Street Ope (E-bound)
255m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

85%

Available places

201 pupils

236 capacity

35 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Plymouth

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,920
Projected new pupils:480

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Plymouth

Admissions Demand - Plymouth

Low demand0.72x oversubscription

Places available

3,262

Applications

2,358

Got 1st preference

96.8%

Got preferred school

99.6%

Primary admissions across Plymouth (2025/26)

Inspection History(104)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.04339%

Overall absence

19.7861%

Persistent absence

187

Enrolments

Authorised4.58196%
Unauthorised1.46143%
Persistent (10%+)19.7861%
Severe (50%+)1.60428%

Absence trend

4.75801%
18/19
4.64878%
20/21
7.30812%
21/22
7.38496%
22/23
8.13515%
23/24
6.04339%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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