St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields, North Shields
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in North Shields, part of Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 12th-highest of the 15 schools in North Shields with published results, and 12,330th of 14,452 across England. It was 64% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to North Tyneside (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields in detail
Results
In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields reached the expected standard in reading and 58% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in North Tyneside and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 70% in reading and 68% 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, North Shields
For September 2026 entry, 15 families put St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields as their first choice and 22 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 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, North Shields
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields are Collingwood Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 70% reading, 83% maths); Riverside Primary School (0.4 miles, Requires improvement, 73% reading, 64% maths); Waterville Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 63% reading, 67% maths); and St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North Shields (0.7 miles, 89% reading, 89% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields.
Collingwood Primary SchoolRiverside Primary SchoolWaterville Primary SchoolSt Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, North Shields
The trust
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields is one of 39 schools run by Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
48.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 61 pupils (31.6%) received SEN support and 6 (3.1%) 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.
Staffing
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields had 15 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Meadow Well (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 470 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ripley Avenue (s-bound), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields 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 488 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in North Tyneside (232), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields issued 25 suspensions, 11.6 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, North Shields are Norham High School (0.2 miles), St Thomas More Catholic High School (0.9 miles) and Churchill Academy (1.5 miles).
Norham High SchoolSt Thomas More Catholic High SchoolChurchill Academy
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; 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
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 provides a happy, safe and nurturing environment for pupils. Pupils appreciate the pastoral support that school provides. Pupils at St Joseph's are inquisitive and keen to learn. They embody the school's values, including resilience and empathy. Pupils are polite and courteous. They greet each other with smiles and good manners. They repeatedly talk about how easy it is to make new friends at this school.
Pupils strive to reach the high expectations of leaders. Pupils achieve well in relation to their starting points. There is a calm and orderly atmosphere evident across the school. A keen sense of respect for one another runs through the school. Pupils talk about the importance of equality and how they 'shouldn't discriminate against anyone'. Pupils have trusted adults that they can go to with any problems.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
From children's first days in Nursery, knowledgeable staff make sure there is a focus on stories, rhymes and songs. Early years staff provide a clear emphasis on communication, language and listening skills. This prepares children well for phonics teaching and learning in Reception. Early years children are keen to engage with the activities that adults plan for them. Pupils print using shapes and paint. They correctly identify shapes such as squares, rectangles, circles and pentagons. Children in Nursery told an inspector how to brush his teeth, 'up and down, not side to side'. Other children in Reception talk confidently about the plants they look after and how 'they need water to grow big'. Children develop their confidence in number through carefully planned activities.
Phonics teaching is consistent across the school. Well-trained staff use assessment carefully to track pupils' progress in phonics. Targeted support is given to those who need it. This provision helps pupils to make effective progress from their starting points. Pupils' starting points in phonics are generally low, however. This means that published outcomes do not reflect the effectiveness of the school's phonics provision.
From Ofsted's June 2024 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 June 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
48.7%
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 remained stable at around 68% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 68% to 58% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 49% to 55% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.6
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
26.0
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class 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, North Shields
Before and after school care
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields 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 North Tyneside
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields is in North Tyneside; for families living there:
Apply to North Tyneside for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 22
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 18 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 North Tyneside is 12 (the median across 84 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, North Shields
Will you get a place at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from North Tyneside, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields for 2022 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in North Tyneside 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
64%
Available places
196 pupils
308 places
112 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - North Shields
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for North Shields
Across North Tyneside council
Places available
2,516
Applications
2,025
Got 1st preference
91.7%
Got preferred school
96.2%
All primary applications across North Tyneside council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
61
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
34.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
193
Total Pupils
102
Boys
91
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
12.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,358
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,531
Per pupil
£1503k
Total funding
£152k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.4%
Overall absence
22.1%
Persistent absence
181
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, North Shields
Questions parents ask about St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields
What are SATs results like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields?
Of the pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 68% reached the expected standard in reading and 58% did so in maths.
What is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields is oversubscribed, North Tyneside 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, North Shields?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields was not full in 2025: it ran at 64% of its 308 places.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields average 22.6 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has 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, North Shields?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields has around 193 pupils on roll. 49% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields?
6.4% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields in 2024/25. 22.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields?
Apply through North Tyneside's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields 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, North Shields have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields 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, North Shields?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 18 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 North Tyneside is 12 (the median across 84 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Shields is at Wallsend Road, Chirton, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE29 7BT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)