St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Newton Abbot
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Newton Abbot, part of Plymouth Cast. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 13th-highest of the 27 schools in Newton Abbot with published results, and 6,591st of 14,452 across England. It was 41% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Devon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in detail
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 86% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Devon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 73% in reading and 64% 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, 14 families put St Joseph's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 18 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
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 Highweek Community Primary and Nursery School (0.3 miles, Good, 74% reading, 58% maths); Bradley Barton Primary School and Nursery Unit (0.5 miles, Good, 79% reading, 80% maths); Wolborough Church of England Nursery and Primary School (0.6 miles, 74% reading, 67% maths); and Bearnes Voluntary Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 62% reading, 31% maths).
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Highweek Community Primary and Nursery SchoolBradley Barton Primary School and Nursery UnitWolborough Church of England Nursery and Primary SchoolBearnes Voluntary Primary School
The trust
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is one of 34 schools run by Plymouth Cast, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 51% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
In 2026, 23 pupils (28.7%) received SEN support and 5 (6.3%) 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 Newton Abbot Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Coombeshead School (opposite), 220 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 161 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Devon (16), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 5.7 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 Coombeshead Academy (0.1 miles), Newton Abbot College (0.3 miles), South Devon UTC (0.7 miles) and Teign School (1.5 miles).
Coombeshead AcademyNewton Abbot CollegeSouth Devon UTCTeign 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
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Joseph's has created a settled, ambitious learning environment where staff wellbeing is valued and pupils are put at the centre of everything. The school excels at teaching children to read confidently and is rapidly improving results at the end of primary school. Leaders have successfully built a united team focused on developing children's knowledge and preparing them well for life beyond school.
Key Strengths
- Phonics teaching is strong, with pupils showing security in reading sounds and 2024 screening results above national average
- Staff have received excellent training and support to develop their subject knowledge and teaching practice
- School improvement plans are precise, measurable and clearly tracked with defined milestones
- Pupils are well-supported to understand their own learning through effective feedback systems
- Teaching of British values and democracy is embedded throughout the curriculum
Areas for Improvement
- Some assessment checks lack the accuracy needed to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge precisely enough
- When knowledge gaps are not identified correctly, some pupils do not progress as well through the curriculum as they could
- Further work needed on ensuring all pupils secure important knowledge before moving forward
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School has made progress in improving education quality since its last inspection in December 2023, with stabilised staffing and improved pupil outcomes. However, some aspects of the school still need further improvement.
At a Glance
30.0%
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 71% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 64% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
18.0
Avg class size
5.0
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 Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Joseph's Catholic Primary School.
- The Big StepAt the school · Not yet graded
- Merlin Playscheme550m away · Not yet graded
- Premier Wraparound @ Bradley Barton770m 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 Devon; for families living there:
- Devon's school travel policy: Free school transport
- How to apply: Apply for free school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
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 Devon is 3 (the median across 426 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 Devon, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Devon 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
41%
Available places
86 pupils
210 places
124 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Newton Abbot
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newton Abbot
Across Devon council
Places available
9,014
Applications
6,494
Got 1st preference
96.5%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Devon council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
35.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
80
Total Pupils
38
Boys
42
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
16.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,030
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,373
Per pupil
£645k
Total funding
£27k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.8%
Overall absence
15.1%
Persistent absence
73
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, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 86% 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 February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Devon 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 not full in 2025: it ran at 41% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School average 18 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School has around 80 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
5.8% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 15.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Devon'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: The Big Step (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more 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 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 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 Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is at Coombeshead Road, Highweek, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 1PT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)