St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Murton

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Murton maintains its status as a good school, fostering a positive and engaging environment for pupils. Children enjoy attending school and build strong relationships with both staff and their peers, contributing to a culture of respect and kindness. The leadership team has done well to create a curriculum that allows pupils to thrive, encouraging resilience, problem-solving, and collaboration among students. However, there's a recognition that although the school is performing well overall, there are specific areas that need attention, particularly in the support provided for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This marks the second ungraded inspection since the school was last assessed as good in 2013, taking into account the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on education.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and enjoy coming to school.
• Strong relationships exist between pupils and staff.
• High expectations for pupil achievement are reinforced by staff.
• Curriculum design effectively addresses gaps in knowledge.
• Pupils demonstrate resilience and enjoy problem-solving.
• New phonics programme supports effective early reading development.
• Pupils behave responsibly and cooperate well with each other.

Areas for Improvement

• Some support plans for pupils with SEND lack precise targets.
• Further training is needed for staff to effectively monitor and support pupils with SEND.

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, Murton attended 96.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.8% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Murton 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, Murton had 21.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 33.3% 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, 11.8% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Murton were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.8% 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, Murton received £8,055 and spent £7,681 for each of its 127 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £231,000 (£1,820 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 Seaham · County Durham local authority: places and applications

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

The latest Ofsted rating for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Murton is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Murton was last inspected in July 2023.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Murton has 127 pupils on roll.

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

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

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

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Murton is at Church Lane, Murton, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 9RD.