St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley, Chorley
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Chorley. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 40 schools in Chorley with published results, and 1,455th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lancashire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley in detail
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of myself, the staff, pupils and governors of St Joseph's, I would like to warmly welcome you to our wonderful school. St Joseph's is a very special place with Christ at the centre of everything we do."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, cricket, athletics, gymnastics, cross-country, judo, dance, chess and cooking.
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 94% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 91% in reading and 84% 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, Chorley
For September 2026 entry, 30 families put St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley as their first choice and 79 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley are St Peter's CofE Primary School Chorley (0.2 miles, Good, 73% reading, 80% maths); Chorley, the Parish of St Laurence Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 77% reading, 84% maths); Highfield Community Primary School (0.5 miles, 71% reading, 68% maths); and Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 68% reading, 74% maths).
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
St Peter's CofE Primary School ChorleyChorley, the Parish of St Laurence Church of England Primary SchoolHighfield Community Primary SchoolChorley St James' Church of England Primary School
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chorley Rail Station, about 1090 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Josephs Parish Centre (by), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 246 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley issued 16 suspensions, 6.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley are St Michael's Church of England High School (0.6 miles), Parklands High School (1 mile), Albany Academy (1.3 miles) and Holy Cross Catholic High School (1.7 miles).
St Michael's Church of England High SchoolParklands High SchoolAlbany AcademyHoly Cross Catholic High School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals 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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
25.6%
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 94% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 72% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.7
Avg class size
30.5
Infant (KS1)
27.8
KS2
6
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley
Term dates
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Lancashire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 19
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 13 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
5 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 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, Chorley
Will you get a place at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lancashire 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
100%
Full
210 pupils
210 places
No spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chorley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chorley
Across Lancashire council
Places available
15,442
Applications
12,122
Got 1st preference
91.3%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
26
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
16.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
219
Total Pupils
108
Boys
111
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
24.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,234
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,723
Per pupil
£1382k
Total funding
£97k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
8.2%
Persistent absence
184
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, Chorley
Questions parents ask about St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley
What are SATs results like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley?
Of the pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 94% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley is oversubscribed, Lancashire 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, Chorley?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley average 28.7 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, Chorley?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley has around 219 pupils on roll. 26% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley?
4.4% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley in 2024/25. 8.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley 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.
How many road collisions happen near St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 13 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 5 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley is at Cedar Road, Chorley, Lancashire, PR6 0JF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)