St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy, Doncaster
St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Doncaster, part of St Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 61st-highest of the 96 schools in Doncaster with published results, and 8,749th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.2 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Doncaster (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy in detail
St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a place where children and adults unite together, learning in the light of Christ. I am so proud to be Headteacher at St. Joseph's, and I truly believe I have the most rewarding job in the whole world."
The school runs a breakfast club.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 77% in Doncaster and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 87% in reading and 87% 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 School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 37 families put St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 55 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 7 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy are Tornedale Infant Academy (under 0.1 miles); Rossington St Michael's CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 86% reading, 80% maths); Pheasant Bank Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 79% reading, 82% maths); and Grange Lane Infant Academy (0.6 miles, Outstanding).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy.
Tornedale Infant AcademyRossington St Michael's CofE Primary SchoolPheasant Bank AcademyGrange Lane Infant Academy
The trust
St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy is one of 15 schools run by St Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
45 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (96%).
Who goes there
16.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 41 pupils (16.7%) received SEN support and 6 (2.4%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Doncaster Rail Station, about 4.2 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Grange Lane/Grangefield Avenue (opposite), 230 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 78 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 Doncaster (131).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy issued 4 suspensions, 1.7 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 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 June 2015, 11 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 February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Joseph's creates a genuinely caring community where every child feels valued and supported to achieve. The school excels at teaching reading and mathematics, with results above the national average, while also offering a rich range of enriching experiences like visits, visitors and special events. Pupils develop strong character and leadership skills through a variety of opportunities, and those with additional needs receive excellent support.
Key Strengths
- Warm, harmonious school culture where pupils feel valued and safe, with rare bullying and strong pastoral support
- Well-sequenced English and mathematics curricula with above-average outcomes at the end of Year 6
- Excellent phonics teaching and targeted reading interventions that help all pupils become confident readers
- Vibrant wider curriculum with enriching visits, visitors and events like the reading festival
- Strong support for pupils with SEND, who are fully included and celebrated
Areas for Improvement
- Some subject curricula lack precise detail about key knowledge pupils should learn and remember
- Inconsistent teaching of foundational knowledge can lead to gaps or repetition in pupil learning
- Teachers sometimes define their own learning objectives rather than following school-wide guidance, causing inconsistency
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils confident that staff listen to concerns and address bullying immediately.
Extracurricular Activities
Reading festival, visits and visitors, playground games leadership, charity campaigns and competitions, before- and after-school clubs
St Joseph's School is a warm and friendly Catholic primary school where pupils feel safe, happy and excited about learning. The school has maintained its good standards with well-developed English and mathematics curricula, though some other subjects need clearer learning objectives.
At a Glance
16.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
45 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 87% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 87% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.8
Avg class size
29.5
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
6
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 School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- Hoglets Wrap Around Ltd740m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy is in Doncaster; for families living there:
Apply to Doncaster for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
0 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 Doncaster is 10 (the median across 143 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 School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy
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What the report includes for St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Doncaster, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Doncaster 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
101%
Over capacity
209 pupils
208 places
1 pupil over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Doncaster
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Doncaster
Across Doncaster council
Places available
4,235
Applications
3,089
Got 1st preference
96.5%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All primary applications across Doncaster council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
41
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
19.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
246
Total Pupils
128
Boys
118
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
22.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,938
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,427
Per pupil
£1251k
Total funding
£50k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.1%
Overall absence
6.1%
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 School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Doncaster allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy?
St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy average 29.8 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 School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy?
St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy has around 246 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy?
3.1% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 6.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Doncaster's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's School, a 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 School, a 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 School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy: Hoglets Wrap Around Ltd (740m 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 School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 0 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 Doncaster is 10 (the median across 143 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy?
St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Bevan Avenue, Rossington, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN11 0NB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)