St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall, Hartlepool
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Hartlepool, part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 30 schools in Hartlepool with published results, and 3,408th of 14,452 across England. It was 64% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to County Durham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall in detail
Results
In 2025, 85% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall reached the expected standard in reading and 85% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in County Durham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 63% in reading and 63% 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, Blackhall
For September 2026 entry, 13 families put St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall as their first choice and 28 named it as one of their preferences, for 12 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall are Blackhall Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 87% reading, 87% maths); Hesleden Primary School (1.2 miles, Requires improvement, 75% reading, 58% maths); Yohden Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 62% reading, 62% maths); and Cotsford Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 74% reading, 79% maths).
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Blackhall Primary SchoolHesleden Primary SchoolYohden Primary SchoolCotsford Primary School
The trust
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall is one of 31 schools run by Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
17 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Staffing
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Horden, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Co-op Store (nw-bound), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 51 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in County Durham (84).
Suspensions and exclusions
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school workforce census; 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school has improved significantly.
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in October 2021. Before that, as St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Blackhall (URN 114280), it was rated Good in March 2017.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Joseph's provides a warm, nurturing environment where all children - including those with additional needs - thrive and feel proud to be part of the school. The school excels at teaching reading and building children's understanding through carefully planned lessons that help them make connections across subjects. Children develop strong emotional intelligence and conduct themselves with maturity and kindness.
Key Strengths
- Pupils achieve exceptionally well with a carefully designed curriculum that helps them build knowledge progressively
- Reading is prioritized throughout the school with expert teaching - children learn to read quickly and fluently from Reception
- Pupils with SEND receive high-quality support and flourish with no barriers to their participation or achievement
- Behaviour is exceptional - pupils are kind, mature and have a deep understanding of fairness, equality and respect
- Early years provision gives children an excellent start with well-thought-out experiences and high-quality staff interactions
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective in creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Coding, cooking, fundraising, breakfast club
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a highly inclusive primary school where pupils achieve exceptionally well in a nurturing and aspirational atmosphere. Evidence suggests the school's work has improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection.
At a Glance
27.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
17 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 63% to 85% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 63% to 85% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 63% to 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.0
Avg class size
20.0
Infant (KS1)
20.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall
Before and after school care
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall 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 County Durham
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall is in County Durham; for families living there:
- County Durham's school travel policy: School transport policies and strategies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school travel
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
3 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 County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 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, Blackhall
Will you get a place at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from County Durham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall for 2022 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in County Durham 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
64%
Available places
67 pupils
105 places
38 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hartlepool
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hartlepool
Across County Durham council
Places available
6,581
Applications
4,409
Got 1st preference
97.3%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across County Durham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History
Ungraded inspection: The school has improved significantly.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
16
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
22.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
84
Total Pupils
37
Boys
47
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
14.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£59,710
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,316
Per pupil
£532k
Total funding
£29k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
11.3%
Persistent absence
62
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, Blackhall
Questions parents ask about St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall
What are SATs results like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall?
Of the pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 85% reached the expected standard in reading and 85% did so in maths.
What is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in October 2021. Before that, as St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Blackhall (URN 114280), it was rated Good in March 2017.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall is oversubscribed, County Durham 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, Blackhall?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall was not full in 2025: it ran at 64% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall average 21 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall has around 84 pupils on roll. 27% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall?
4.2% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall in 2024/25. 11.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall?
Apply through County Durham's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall 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, Blackhall have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall 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, Blackhall?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 3 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 County Durham is 5 (the median across 280 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackhall is at Coast Road, Blackhall Colliery, Hartlepool, TS27 4HE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)