St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford, Castleford
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Castleford, part of The Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 10 schools in Castleford with published results, and 12,107th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Wakefield (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford in detail
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford reached the expected standard in reading and 59% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Wakefield and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 87% in reading and 77% 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 Castleford
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford as their first choice and 65 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 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 Castleford
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford are Castleford Park Junior Academy (0.2 miles, Good, 77% reading, 76% maths); Castleford Wheldon Infant School and Nursery (0.2 miles, Good); Glasshoughton Infant Academy (0.3 miles, Good); and Smawthorne Henry Moore Academy (0.5 miles).
Castleford Park Junior AcademyCastleford Wheldon Infant School and NurseryGlasshoughton Infant AcademySmawthorne Henry Moore Academy
The trust
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford is one of 15 schools run by The Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 15 schools in The Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust
What parents say
32 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford (as of September 2025): 66% would recommend the school, 75% say their child is happy there and 29% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (29%).
Who goes there
8.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 30 pupils (15.2%) received SEN support and 2 (1%) 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 Castleford Rail Station, about 510 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Joseph's School, 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 290 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 Wakefield (130), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford issued 18 suspensions, 8.7 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 Castleford are Castleford Academy (0.2 miles) and Airedale Academy (1.4 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; Ofsted Parent View; 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 agoThis judgement is from November 2011, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School provides a warm, welcoming atmosphere for all. The school embodies its Catholic values. Relationships between adults and pupils are nurturing and positive. This contributes to a supportive and happy school culture where pupils feel encouraged to succeed.
Leaders set high expectations. Pupils rise to these. Pupils behave well in lessons and during social times. Pupils achieve well. In lessons, pupils are engaged and are keen to participate. Throughout corridors and in the playground, pupils display excellent manners, kindness and respect.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is highly ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school prioritises early reading. Staff receive regular and effective phonics training, ensuring that they are confident in teaching phonics across different year groups. Staff teach high-quality phonics lessons with consistency. Pupils at risk of falling behind in reading receive targeted help, which helps to close any gaps in phonics knowledge. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading and demonstrate increasing accuracy in applying their skills to read unfamiliar words. The early reading programme is well resourced, with a wide range of books that are matched to pupils' reading abilities.
The school has carefully considered the wider curriculum. Subjects are well sequenced and structured so that pupils can develop their knowledge over time. Pupils with SEND experience success through well-considered adjustments to meet their different needs. Teachers' checks on pupils' knowledge are effective in reading and mathematics, enabling targeted support if needed. This includes revisiting number facts and multiplications in mathematics on a daily basis. Assessment practices across the wider curriculum are less developed. As a result, the school does not always precisely address gaps in pupils' understanding.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2011 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
8.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
32 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 declined from 87% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 77% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 90% to 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.1
Avg class size
26.7
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
7
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 Castleford
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford.
- Premier Education Castleford970m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford is in Wakefield; for families living there:
- Wakefield's school travel policy: Home To School Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 33
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 25 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 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 Castleford
Will you get a place at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wakefield, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Wakefield 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
98%
Near capacity
206 pupils
210 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Castleford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Castleford
Across Wakefield council
Places available
4,391
Applications
3,654
Got 1st preference
94.4%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Wakefield council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
16.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
197
Total Pupils
101
Boys
96
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,604
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,239
Per pupil
£1143k
Total funding
£18k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
9.3%
Persistent absence
183
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 Castleford
Questions parents ask about St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford
What are SATs results like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford?
Of the pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 59% did so in maths.
What is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford is oversubscribed, Wakefield 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 Castleford?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford average 28.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford has around 197 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford?
5% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford in 2024/25. 9.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford 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 Castleford 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 Castleford: Premier Education Castleford (970m 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 Castleford?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 25 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford is at Pontefract Road, Castleford, West Yorkshire, WF10 4JB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)