St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy, Derby
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Derby, part of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 36th-highest of the 86 schools in Derby with published results, and 7,614th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 109% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Derby (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 78% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 70% in Derby and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 79% in reading and 81% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 51 families put St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 94 named it as one of their preferences, for 52 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
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 Derby St Chad's CofE Nursery and Infant School (0.2 miles, Good); St James' Church of England Aided Infant School (0.3 miles, Good); Becket Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 59% reading, 52% maths); and Firs Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 52% reading, 45% maths).
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Derby St Chad's CofE Nursery and Infant SchoolSt James' Church of England Aided Infant SchoolBecket Primary SchoolFirs Primary School
The trust
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is one of 25 schools run by St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
All 25 schools in St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust
Who goes there
75.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (28%), Black (28%) and Mixed (15%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Derby Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
21 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Mill Hill Lane (sw-bound), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy 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 1262 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Derby (267), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy are Derby Cathedral School (0.7 miles), The Bemrose School (0.9 miles), UTC Derby Pride Park (0.9 miles) and Landau Forte College (1 mile).
Derby Cathedral SchoolThe Bemrose SchoolUTC Derby Pride ParkLandau Forte College
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 May 2016, 10 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 May 2016 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
22.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 79% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.8
Avg class size
24.3
Infant (KS1)
28.9
KS2
13
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 Voluntary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- RCCG Solid Rock Derby330m away · Not yet graded
- Genius Tuition Holiday Club Derby610m away · Not yet graded
- Just for Us out of hours club810m away · Not yet graded
- Y-Kidz Holiday Activity and Food programme Dale Community Primary school920m away · Not yet graded
- DWICA970m 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 Derby; for families living there:
Apply to Derby for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 148
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 27
- Children hurt
- 16
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 148 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 27 serious and 121 slight.
16 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 9 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise.
21 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 Derby is 24 (the median across 119 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 Derby, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Derby 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
109%
Over capacity
381 pupils
351 places
30 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Derby
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Derby
Across Derby council
Places available
3,564
Applications
2,643
Got 1st preference
94.4%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Derby council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
45
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
16.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
375
Total Pupils
202
Boys
173
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
22.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,735
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,305
Per pupil
£2240k
Total funding
£111k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
8.2%
Persistent absence
340
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, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 78% 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 October 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2016, 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, Derby 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 full in 2025, at 109% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy average 26.8 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 Voluntary Academy?
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy has around 375 pupils on roll. 23% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
4.2% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 8.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Derby'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 5 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy: RCCG Solid Rock Derby (330m away, registered, not yet graded), Genius Tuition Holiday Club Derby (610m away, registered, not yet graded) and Just for Us out of hours club (810m 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 148 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 27 serious and 121 slight. 16 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 9 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise. 21 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 Derby is 24 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is at St Joseph's , Mill Hill Lane, Derby, Derbyshire, DE23 6SB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)