St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Darlaston has made significant improvements since its previous inspection, now achieving an outstanding rating across all inspection categories. The school provides a safe and nurturing environment where pupils feel happy and motivated to learn. Leaders have set high expectations for attendance, behaviour, and academic achievement, ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive the support they need to succeed. The school has a rich curriculum that enhances pupils' educational experiences and personal development.

Strengths

• Exceptional leadership with high ambition for all pupils.
• Outstanding behaviour and conduct with exemplary pupil support.
• A well-structured and ambitious curriculum that engages pupils.
• Highly skilled staff providing effective early reading instruction.
• Excellent personal development opportunities fostering respect and understanding.
• Strong partnerships with parents and positive community involvement.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.4% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 28.6% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston received £7,262 and spent £7,492 for each of its 233 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £108,000 (£465 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston last inspected by Ofsted?

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston have?

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston has 245 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston cover?

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston?

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston is at Rough Hay Road, Darlaston, Wednesbury, WS10 8HN.