St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe, Pontefract
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Pontefract, 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 February 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 20th-highest of the 33 schools in Pontefract with published results, and 9,982nd of 14,452 across England. It was 90% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- 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 Wakefield (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe in detail
Results
In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Wakefield and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (67% in reading, 73% 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, Moorthorpe
For September 2026 entry, 25 families put St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe as their first choice and 49 named it as one of their preferences, for 26 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, Moorthorpe
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe are Moorthorpe Primary School With Inclusion Resource (under 0.1 miles, Good, 60% reading, 58% maths); South Elmsall Carlton Junior and Infant School (0.4 miles, Good, 71% reading, 53% maths); Ash Grove Primary Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 57% reading, 61% maths); and Ark Northfield Primary School (0.8 miles, 88% reading, 83% maths).
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Moorthorpe Primary School With Inclusion ResourceSouth Elmsall Carlton Junior and Infant SchoolAsh Grove Primary AcademyArk Northfield Primary School
The trust
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe 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
Who goes there
31.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (51%), Black (8%) and Mixed (5%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Moorthorpe Rail Station, about 240 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Regent Street (at), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe issued 3 suspensions, 1.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from February 2017, 9 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 February 2017 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
28.4%
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 declined from 67% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 73% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 80% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.5
Avg class size
26.7
Infant (KS1)
26.5
KS2
8
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, Moorthorpe
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe 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
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 4
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, 8 serious and 10 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 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, Moorthorpe
Will you get a place at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe.
- 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, Moorthorpe for 2015 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
90%
Near capacity
189 pupils
210 places
21 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Pontefract
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Pontefract
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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
40
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
24.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
204
Total Pupils
102
Boys
102
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
18.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,263
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,857
Per pupil
£1319k
Total funding
£89k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
16.1%
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, Moorthorpe
Questions parents ask about St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe
What are SATs results like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe?
Of the pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 59% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe 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, Moorthorpe?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe was not full in 2025: it ran at 90% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe average 25.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe has around 204 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe?
5.5% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe in 2024/25. 16.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe 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, Moorthorpe?
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, 8 serious and 10 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 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, Moorthorpe?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe is at Barnsley Road, Moorthorpe, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF9 2BP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)