St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School

St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School is a Roman Catholic primary school in Salford with 212 pupils, a higher-than-average proportion of disadvantaged pupils and a well-above-average proportion of pupils with SEN support. Inspected in July 2026, the school met safeguarding standards. Its early years provision is a clear strength: children are happy and safe, the curriculum is well organised, and staff support communication, language, phonics, early reading and number well. However, most other areas fall short of the expected standard, and leaders' improvement work is still at an early stage. The main concerns are pupils' achievement, attendance and aspects of teaching and inclusion. Attainment by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics is below average over time, with gaps in grammar, punctuation, spelling and other subjects. Pupils with barriers to learning, including those with SEND, do not make enough progress from their starting points, and disadvantaged pupils' gaps are not closing quickly enough. Attendance is below national average for all groups, persistent absence is high, and although most pupils behave well, rules and routines are not consistently understood or applied, with a minority disrupting learning. Some curriculum planning is not clear enough, teachers do not consistently address misconceptions or adapt work to meet needs, and PSHE is not taught consistently well. Leaders have an accurate view of what needs to improve and are taking the right actions, with early signs of positive change. Staff receive professional development and protected collaboration time, parents are positive about recent improvements, and pupils benefit from strong pastoral relationships and a wide range of wider opportunities, including music, trips and clubs. Governors, however, lack sufficient knowledge and expertise to challenge leaders effectively. Overall, the school has a solid early years foundation and a credible improvement direction, but significant work remains before pupils achieve well, attend regularly and are fully prepared for the next stage of education.

Strengths

• Early years leaders prioritise a positive start and children are happy and safe.
• The early years curriculum is well organised and emphasises communication and language.
• Staff model language and support reluctant speakers, helping children communicate confidently.
• Phonics is taught consistently well, enabling children to read accurately and fluently.
• Children learn pencil control, letter formation and early number well.
• Staff check children's progress carefully and act swiftly to close gaps.
• Children with SEND and other barriers are identified early in the early years and supported suitably.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture and concerns acted on.
• Leaders understand attendance issues and follow up absence promptly.
• Leaders work with families and external agencies to reduce barriers to attendance.
• The behaviour approach helps pupils understand and manage their emotions.
• Most pupils behave well, and bullying incidents are dealt with quickly and effectively.
• Leaders have accurate insights into the school and are taking the right improvement actions.
• Staff benefit from professional learning, including national qualifications and SEND expertise.
• Leaders consider staff wellbeing and workload and provide protected collaboration time.
• Parents and carers are positive about recent improvements and trust leaders.
• Pupils access wider opportunities such as residential trips, clubs, music and sport.
• Pupils learn about healthy relationships, personal safety and online safety.
• Leaders track participation so disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND have equal access to wider opportunities.
• Pupils have trusting relationships with staff and can find help when needed.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 is below average over time.
• Pupils have gaps in grammar, punctuation and spelling and learning deficits in other subjects.
• Pupils with barriers to learning, including SEND, do not make enough progress from their starting points.
• Some pupils are not prepared well enough for the next stage in their education.
• Attendance rates are below the national average for all groups, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Persistent absence remains above the national average.
• Staff and pupils do not have a secure understanding of the school's rules and routines.
• Poor behaviour is not dealt with consistently well and a minority of pupils disrupt learning.
• Some pupils do not have positive attitudes to learning.
• The curriculum in some subjects does not give teachers enough information about what to teach and when.
• Teachers do not consistently teach the key knowledge and skills needed in writing and mathematics.
• Teachers do not use ongoing assessment to identify misconceptions, leading to gaps in understanding.
• Teachers do not provide pupils with enough feedback to help them improve their work.
• Teaching is not adapted well enough for pupils with barriers to learning, including those with SEND.
• Leaders have only recently begun ensuring staff use information about pupils' barriers to learning.
• Leaders do not have a firm understanding of the progress pupils make towards their individual goals.
• Staff do not have a secure understanding of strategies designed to support disadvantaged pupils.
• Gaps in disadvantaged pupils' learning do not close as quickly as leaders intend.
• Governors lack sufficient knowledge or expertise to offer purposeful challenge.
• Governors have not asked enough questions about pupils' achievement or the impact of additional funding.
• PSHE is not taught consistently well, so pupils do not learn all that they should.
• Pupils have limited knowledge of how fundamental British values relate to diversity, the law and life in modern Britain.
• Pupils do not have a secure understanding of some aspects of a healthy lifestyle.

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 the Worker RC Primary School attended 92.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.0% 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, 2.8% of pupils at St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School 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 the Worker RC Primary School had 18.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.4% 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, 24.2% of pupils at St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School 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 the Worker RC Primary School received £8,486 and spent £8,606 for each of its 182 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £55,000 (£300 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 Salford · Salford local authority: places and applications

What is St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School have?

St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School has 182 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School cover?

St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 54% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School?

St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School is at Cutnook Lane, Irlam, Cutnook Lane, Salford, Greater Manchester, M44 6GX.