St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy, Market Harborough
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Market Harborough, part of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 15 schools in Market Harborough with published results, and 4,824th of 14,452 across England. It was 89% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Leicestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 77% in Leicestershire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 93% in reading and 86% 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 Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 22 families put St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 51 named it as one of their preferences, for 22 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 Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy are Market Harborough Church of England Academy (0.2 miles, Good, 93% reading, 87% maths); Little Bowden School (0.6 miles, Good, 76% reading, 76% maths); Ridgeway Primary Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 74% reading, 69% maths); and Farndon Fields Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 70% reading, 66% maths).
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Market Harborough Church of England AcademyLittle Bowden SchoolRidgeway Primary AcademyFarndon Fields Primary School
The trust
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is one of 23 schools run by St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 23 schools in St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust
What parents say
37 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy (as of September 2025): 95% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).
Who goes there
9.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 34 pupils (17.9%) received SEN support and 4 (2.1%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Market Harborough Rail Station, about 1130 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Josephs School (outside), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 158 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Leicestershire (58), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy issued 2 suspensions, 1.1 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 Voluntary Academy are Welland Park Academy (0.2 miles) and The Robert Smyth Academy (0.6 miles).
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; Ofsted Parent View; 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 agoThis judgement is from March 2011, 15 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Joseph's provides a high standard of education in a happy, welcoming environment where children thrive academically and personally. The school goes above and beyond to ensure every child experiences rich learning opportunities and discovers their talents, while developing important life skills and strong values. Parents consistently praise the school for producing well-rounded, loving individuals prepared for success.
Key Strengths
- Broad and ambitious curriculum delivered skilfully by staff who explain concepts clearly and support pupils as they practise new learning
- Effective systems to identify and support pupils with SEND, enabling them to access the same curriculum as their peers
- Exceptional personal development offer with rich experiences including visits to zoos, Parliament, and retreats, helping every pupil find a personal talent
- Strong reading programme with pupils becoming fluent and confident readers through exposure to high-quality texts and visits to libraries and bookshops
- Pupils learn and live the school's three promises - 'be kind, work hard and make the right choice' - and develop essential life skills
Areas for Improvement
- Staff do not consistently correct letter formation errors when pupils start writing, meaning mistakes continue and accurate formation develops more slowly
- Sometimes learning tasks provided by staff are not well-designed, causing pupils to struggle to acquire the intended learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Zoo visits, Houses of Parliament visits, residential retreats, local library and bookshop visits, mystery readers, local performances and events
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is a warm, welcoming and vibrant learning community where pupils arrive with smiles and staff greet them cheerfully. The school has maintained the standards identified at its previous inspection with high expectations for all pupils who rise to academic and personal challenges.
At a Glance
18.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
37 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 93% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 86% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 97% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.1
Avg class size
25.7
Infant (KS1)
28.3
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- Premier @ Market Harborough360m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is in Leicestershire; for families living there:
- Leicestershire's school travel policy: Mainstream School Transport for 5 to 16 year olds
- How to apply: Request for school transport on medical grounds form PDF, 359.48 KB Opens new window
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 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 Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Leicestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Leicestershire 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
89%
Available places
187 pupils
210 places
23 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Market Harborough
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Market Harborough
Across Leicestershire council
Places available
8,574
Applications
6,827
Got 1st preference
94.0%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Leicestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
34
SEN Support
4
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
190
Total Pupils
99
Boys
91
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
19.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,922
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,167
Per pupil
£1031k
Total funding
£36k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
8.5%
Persistent absence
164
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 Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Leicestershire 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 Voluntary Academy?
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 89% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy average 27.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy has around 190 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
3.9% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 8.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Leicestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy 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 Voluntary Academy 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 Voluntary Academy: Premier @ Market Harborough (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 Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Coventry Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 9BZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)