St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Dovercourt
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Dovercourt, part of The Rosary Trust - A Catholic Multi Academy. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 214th-highest of the 388 schools in Essex with published results, and 7,614th of 14,452 across England. It was 96% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- 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 Essex (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
From the headteacher's welcome: "Together, we follow in St. Joseph's footsteps, building a community of love, trust, respect and learning. St Joseph's is a small half-form entry school with four mixed-aged classes catering for children aged 4 to 11 years."
The school runs a breakfast club.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 65% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 88% in reading and 71% 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, 15 families put St Joseph's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 33 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 Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School are The Mayflower Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 72% reading, 60% maths); All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt (0.5 miles, Good, 75% reading, 75% maths); Spring Meadow Primary School & Nursery (0.6 miles); and Chase Lane Primary School and Nursery (0.9 miles, Good, 81% reading, 80% maths).
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
The Mayflower Primary SchoolAll Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, DovercourtSpring Meadow Primary School & NurseryChase Lane Primary School and Nursery
The trust
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is one of 7 schools run by The Rosary Trust - A Catholic Multi Academy, an academy trust.
All 7 schools in The Rosary Trust - A Catholic Multi Academy
Who goes there
10.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 16 pupils (14%) received SEN support and 3 (2.6%) 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 Dovercourt Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Drive (se-bound), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 190 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 Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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 agoSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2020. Before that, as St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Harwich (URN 115132), it was rated Good in May 2012.
At a Glance
10.5%
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 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 71% to 65% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 76% to 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.5
Avg class size
4
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Latest News Story
28 Sep 2026
New News Story- September Update
29 Sep 2025
Inauguration Ceremony of High Steward of Harwich
25 Apr 2024
From St Joseph's Catholic Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School 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 Essex
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 Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 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 Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School for 2021 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex 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
96%
Near capacity
114 pupils
119 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Across Essex council
Places available
17,932
Applications
15,737
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
16
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
16.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
114
Total Pupils
55
Boys
59
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
16.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£42,852
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,941
Per pupil
£742k
Total funding
£24k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
11.9%
Persistent absence
101
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, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 65% did so in maths.
What is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2020. Before that, as St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Harwich (URN 115132), it was rated Good in May 2012.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Essex 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 close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School average 28.5 pupils (2025/26). 2 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 114 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
4.6% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 11.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Essex'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?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School 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 School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is at The Drive, Dovercourt, Dovercourt, Essex, CO12 3SU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)