St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy, Retford
St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Retford, part of St Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 16 schools in Retford with published results, and 7,614th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- 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 Nottinghamshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy in detail
St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a voluntary Academy was opened in 1970 and has around 220 pupils aged 3-11 years. We have a Foundation Unit and 6 classes. We serve Retford and the surrounding area, providing a distinctive Catholic High Quality Education."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 73% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Nottinghamshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (77% in reading, 74% 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 School, a Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 50 named it as one of their preferences, for 23 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, a Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy are Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School (0.6 miles, Good); St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 50% reading, 25% maths); Ordsall Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 64% reading, 67% maths); and Carr Hill Primary and Nursery School (1 mile, Good, 47% reading, 38% maths).
St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Hallcroft Infant and Nursery SchoolSt Swithun's Church of England Primary AcademyOrdsall Primary SchoolCarr Hill Primary and Nursery School
The trust
St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is one of 15 schools run by St Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
In 2026, 30 pupils (13.4%) received SEN support and 3 (1.3%) 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 Retford Low Level Rail Station, about 930 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sports Ground (adjacent), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 212 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Nottinghamshire (101), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy are Retford Oaks Academy (0.1 miles) and The Elizabethan Academy (0.6 miles).
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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from March 2014, 12 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 March 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
18.3%
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 remained stable at around 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 65% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.3
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
27.7
KS2
6
Total classes
1 class 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, a Voluntary Academy
NEWSLETTER 9/9/2026
9 Sep 2026
NEWSLETTER 15/07/2026
15 Jul 2026
NEWSLETTER 05/06/2026
5 Jun 2026
Class Dojo for Latest News
3 Oct 2022
From St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy.
- Thrumpton Kids Club350m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Nottinghamshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is in Nottinghamshire; for families living there:
- Nottinghamshire's school travel policy: Under 16 Transport Policy 2026-2027
- How to apply: Apply for under 16 travel assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 15 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
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 Nottinghamshire is 10 (the median across 370 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, a Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Nottinghamshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy for 2016 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Nottinghamshire 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
95%
Near capacity
200 pupils
210 places
10 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Retford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Retford
Across Nottinghamshire council
Places available
10,513
Applications
7,912
Got 1st preference
99.1%
Got preferred school
99.7%
All primary applications across Nottinghamshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
14.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
224
Total Pupils
106
Boys
118
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
20.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,313
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,402
Per pupil
£1170k
Total funding
£56k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
14.9%
Persistent absence
174
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, a Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Nottinghamshire 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, a Voluntary Academy?
St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy average 28.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has 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, a Voluntary Academy?
St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has around 224 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
5.1% of sessions were missed at St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 14.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Nottinghamshire's coordinated admissions process, naming St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary 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 School, a Voluntary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy: Thrumpton Kids Club (350m away, registered, not yet graded). 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, a Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 15 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 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 Nottinghamshire is 10 (the median across 370 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is at Babworth Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7BP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)