St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF, Chelmsford
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Chelmsford. 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 16th-highest of the 46 schools in Chelmsford with published results, and 4,602nd of 14,452 across England. It was 82% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- 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 Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF in detail
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I take great pride in welcoming you and your family to St. Joseph’s. We are a growing Catholic Primary School in the centre of South Woodham Ferrers. We pride ourselves on being a school that sets high standards of academic achievement and behaviour, and places great value on the personal development of all our individual children."
Coming up: an admissions event on Monday 2 November 2026 at 9.30am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (83% in reading, 79% 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, SWF
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF as their first choice and 43 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 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, SWF
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF are Trinity St Mary's CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, South Woodham Ferrers (under 0.1 miles, Good, 55% reading, 48% maths); Elmwood Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 68% reading, 72% maths); Collingwood Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 74% reading, 74% maths); and Woodville Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 83% reading, 81% maths).
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Trinity St Mary's CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, South Woodham FerrersElmwood Primary SchoolCollingwood Primary SchoolWoodville Primary School
Who goes there
6.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Black (5%).
In 2026, 25 pupils (13.9%) received SEN support and 11 (6.1%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is South Woodham Ferrers Rail Station, about 920 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Leighlands Road (opposite), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 54 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Essex (97).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF issued 7 suspensions, 4.1 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 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 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?
Pupils love coming to school. They are attentive and resilient learners. Pupils talk excitedly about what they have learned and remembered. Pupils rise to the high expectations of achievement set by the school. Therefore, most pupils achieve highly.
The school is a calm and orderly environment. This includes when pupils are learning in class and playing with their friends at social times. There are clear expectations and routines. Pupils are motivated to learn and have positive attitudes to their work. They enjoy each other's company. They are polite and respectful to adults and their peers.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school fulfils its aim to develop pupils to be 'gentle, caring and hardworking' through its ambitious curriculum. This involves giving pupils experiences that relate to 'aspiration, inspiration and environment'. These experiences prepare pupils to be independent and responsible learners who are ready for their next steps.
The school has carefully constructed the curriculum to ensure that pupils are able to build on key parts of knowledge as they progress. In most subjects, there are a range of opportunities for pupils to write at length and consolidate the skills they have learned. In mathematics, there are many opportunities for all pupils to develop their fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills. However, teachers do not always have high enough expectations of pupils' writing in some subjects. Pupils do not routinely apply the grammar, punctuation and structural skills that they already know. This means that pupils do not always get the practice they need to consolidate their writing skills.
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
6.7%
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 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 79% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.5
Avg class size
21.3
Infant (KS1)
25.0
KS2
8
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF
4th September 2026
4 Sep 2026
Friday Flyer 8th May 2026
8 May 2026
Friday Flyer 19th June
Friday Flyer 15th May
From St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF.
- Essex Kids Camp - Elmwood360m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 13 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 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, SWF
Will you get a place at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex 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
82%
Available places
170 pupils
208 places
38 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chelmsford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chelmsford
Across Essex council
Places available
17,932
Applications
15,737
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
25
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
20.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
180
Total Pupils
90
Boys
90
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
22.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,535
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,146
Per pupil
£934k
Total funding
£23k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
11.2%
Persistent absence
152
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, SWF
Questions parents ask about St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF
What are SATs results like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF?
Of the pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF is oversubscribed, Essex 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, SWF?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF was not full in 2025: it ran at 82% of its 208 places.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF average 22.5 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, SWF?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF has around 180 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF?
5.1% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF in 2024/25. 11.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF 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, SWF 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, SWF: Essex Kids Camp - Elmwood (360m 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, SWF?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 13 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF?
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF is at Trinity Square, South Woodham Ferrers, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 5JX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)