St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Banbury, Banbury

Requires Improvement
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~456m)Possible (~652m)Unlikely (~848m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Clare Smith
Pupils:197 / 210 capacity
LA:Oxfordshire
Phone:01295264284
Address:Fiennes Road, Banbury, OX16 0ET
Trust:THE POPE FRANCIS CATHOLIC MULTI ACADEMY COMPANY
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 August 2014

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 7 May 2025View full report
URN:141155
UKPRN:10046760
Diocese:Archdiocese of Birmingham
Constituency:Banbury
Urban/Rural:Urban: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

St Joseph's is a nurturing, inclusive school where every child is known and valued. Reading is taught excellently from the start, with strong phonics instruction and quick support for those who need it. The school enriches learning through exciting experiences, visits, visitors, and after-school clubs while fostering pupils' character and respect for diversity.

Key Strengths

  • Effective phonics teaching with prompt intervention for pupils who struggle with reading
  • Strong early years provision that gives children a solid foundation and develops their vocabulary
  • Caring, inclusive culture where pupils behave well and feel respected
  • Well-trained staff who teach the curriculum effectively and help pupils make connections in their learning
  • Good support for pupils with special educational needs, allowing them to learn alongside their peers

Areas for Improvement

  • In some foundation subjects, the important knowledge pupils need to learn has not been clearly identified, leading to gaps in understanding
  • Curriculum in all subjects needs to be better sequenced to ensure pupils embed key knowledge securely
  • Teaching focus needs to sharpen in some subjects to support pupils to achieve curriculum goals

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff providing prompt support to pupils who have worries and the school creating an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.

Extracurricular Activities

Dance club, rugby club, languages club, story seekers programme, Citizens of the World week, community events supporting local food charities, Lent Walk, breakfast club

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a happy, caring school where pupils feel safe and known as individuals. The school provides a well-constructed curriculum and has improved from its previous 'Requires improvement' rating to 'Good' across all key areas.

At a Glance

27.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

14 responses
Would recommend71%
Child is happy86%
Well taught93%
Good progress79%
Feels safe86%
Well behaved86%
Bullying dealt with21%
Kept informed86%
Handles concerns50%
Wider development64%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+11ppMaths+12ppWriting+26pp

Reading has improved from 54% to 65%. Maths has improved from 57% to 69%. Writing has improved from 39% to 65%.

Class Sizes

23.5

Avg class size

25.0

Infant (KS1)

28.0

KS2

8

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

St Josephs Church (o/s)
194m · 3 min walk
Arundel Place (adj)
212m · 3 min walk
Goulds Villas (opp)
239m · 4 min walk
Bradley Arcade (W-bound)
297m · 5 min walk
Withycombe Drive (NW-bound)
310m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

94%

Near capacity

197 pupils

210 capacity

13 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Banbury

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,794
Projected new pupils:449

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Banbury

Admissions Demand - Oxfordshire

Low demand0.80x oversubscription

Places available

8,555

Applications

6,831

Got 1st preference

94.0%

Got preferred school

99.1%

Primary admissions across Oxfordshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(3)

7 May 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
24 January 2023
Requires ImprovementReport
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsRequires Improvement
12 July 2017
Leadership & ManagementGood

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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

6.87767%

Overall absence

16.66667%

Persistent absence

174

Enrolments

Authorised5.19371%
Unauthorised1.68396%
Persistent (10%+)16.66667%
Severe (50%+)1.72414%

Absence trend

3.56862%
18/19
5.07282%
20/21
5.89526%
21/22
5.72413%
22/23
6.54878%
23/24
6.87767%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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