St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School demonstrates solid overall performance with a consistent grading of 'Good' across all inspected areas. Pupils express enthusiasm for learning and display commendable attitudes. The school's nurturing environment fosters resilience, and a strong curriculum helps students achieve well, particularly in reading and mathematics. However, concerns exist regarding the expectations set for writing skills in some subjects, which could hinder students' progression in this area. Additionally, the pre-school curriculum lacks alignment with the Reception Year's phonics and mathematics programs, affecting children's readiness for formal schooling.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit high levels of enthusiasm and resilience in learning.
• The school provides a calm and orderly learning environment.
• Curriculum offers a wide range of enrichment activities, including clubs and trips.
• Effective phonics instruction helps develop confident readers.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs ensures inclusive access to learning.

Areas for Improvement

• Expectations for writing skills are not consistently high across subjects.
• Pre-school curriculum does not align closely with Reception Year programs.

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, SWF attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.2% 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, 1.8% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF 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, SWF had 25.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.3% 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, 13.9% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.1% 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, SWF received £6,658 and spent £6,691 for each of its 180 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £15,000 (£83 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 Chelmsford · Essex local authority: places and applications

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

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

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF was last inspected in July 2024.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF has 180 pupils on roll.

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

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

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

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF is at Trinity Square, South Woodham Ferrers, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 5JX.