St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Wallasey

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Wallasey is a nurturing primary where pupils, including those with SEND, are well supported and typically achieve well. The school has high aspirations, a broad and ambitious curriculum from early years to Year 6, and strong early identification of additional needs. Behaviour is exemplary, relationships are positive, and pupils engage fully in a wide range of sports, music and well-being activities. Personal development is a particular strength, with pupils showing exceptional understanding of healthy relationships and different cultures. Leadership and governance are effective, staff feel valued and well supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Reading is a high priority and phonics support is strong, while early years staff are highly skilled. Published 2023 Year 6 outcomes were below the national average, but the report notes that those pupils had not had time to benefit from curriculum changes; current pupils are achieving well. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection. The main areas for improvement are ensuring all staff check pupils’ understanding consistently so misconceptions are addressed quickly, strengthening early writing so pupils master accurate letter formation by the end of Year 2, and improving attendance for pupils who are absent too often, which is widening gaps in learning.

Strengths

• Nurturing environment where pupils and children in early years settle quickly
• High aspirations for pupils’ achievement, including those with SEND
• Broad, rich and ambitious curriculum across early years and key stages
• Early identification and effective support for pupils with SEND
• Exemplary behaviour and respectful, positive relationships
• Exceptional personal development and understanding of healthy relationships and cultures
• Strong reading provision with effective phonics teaching and support
• Highly skilled early years staff and a stimulating learning environment
• Effective leadership and governance that supports school improvement
• Staff feel valued and supported in their well-being
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In some curriculum areas, staff do not check pupils’ understanding carefully enough, so misconceptions and gaps are not addressed quickly
• Some pupils do not master accurate letter formation by the end of Year 2, hindering writing fluency in key stage 2
• Some pupils do not attend school often enough, causing gaps in learning to widen

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, Wallasey attended 93.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.9% 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, 1.1% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Wallasey 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, Wallasey had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.6% 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, 20.2% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Wallasey were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.4% 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, Wallasey received £9,412 and spent £10,051 for each of its 156 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £127,000 (-£814 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

All schools in Wallasey · Wirral local authority: places and applications

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

The latest Ofsted rating for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Wallasey is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Wallasey was last inspected in November 2024.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Wallasey has 168 pupils on roll.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Wallasey for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Wallasey is at Wheatland Lane, Wallasey, Merseyside, CH44 7ED.