St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Preston, Preston
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 8 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
St Joseph's is a welcoming, inclusive school that quickly identifies what each child needs to succeed. The school excels at supporting disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, helping them to flourish through carefully planned support. With a strong focus on reading and a well-thought-out curriculum that builds knowledge as pupils progress, most children achieve well and leave well-prepared for secondary school.
Key Strengths
- Personal development is a key priority with pupils taking on many leadership roles and developing confidence, resilience and understanding of right and wrong
- Leaders effectively identify and support disadvantaged pupils, helping them to flourish through creative approaches to overcome barriers
- Reading is at the heart of the curriculum with teachers using the phonics programme well, resulting in strong reading outcomes nationally
- Safeguarding culture is open and positive with all legal requirements met and pupils feeling safe
- Attendance has improved significantly and is now in line with national averages for all groups of pupils
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils' writing fluency is not as well developed as reading, making it more difficult for them to record ideas and explain learning
- Early years leaders do not ensure that all children develop accurate letter formation as well as they could
- New writing programme to address letter formation inconsistencies is at an early stage of development with some inconsistency in how effectively teachers use it
- In some cases, leaders do not end bespoke timetables for pupils as promptly as they should
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, all legal requirements are met, and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Reading champions, school council, eco-council, faith leaders roles, charity fundraising, local community events including Remembrance Day
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a welcoming school where pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, typically achieve well and are well prepared for their next stage of education. Leaders identify pupils' needs quickly and provide carefully considered support to help them overcome barriers to learning.
At a Glance
30.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 59% to 80%. Maths has improved from 63% to 82%. Writing has improved from 61% to 78%.
Class Sizes
22.3
Avg class size
22.2
Infant (KS1)
25.7
KS2
15
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
110%
Over capacity
347 pupils
315 capacity
32 places over capacity
Area Demand Pressure - Preston
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Preston
Admissions Demand - Lancashire
Places available
15,664
Applications
12,136
Got 1st preference
93.0%
Got preferred school
98.8%
Primary admissions across Lancashire (2025/26)
Inspection History(2)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.38891%
Overall absence
18.9781%
Persistent absence
274
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Preston
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