St Joseph's Catholic Academy
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 3-11 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Armadale Drive Leicester Leicestershire LE5 1HF |
| Phone | 01162416197 |
| Reference Number | 138115 |
St Joseph's Catholic Academy is a welcoming and inclusive primary school where pupils are happy, safe and well supported. Inspectors found that safeguarding standards are met and that most areas of the school's work are at the expected standard. Leaders know the school and community well, have high expectations, and have built a calm, caring culture with strong pastoral support, good behaviour and improving attendance. The school also has effective provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including its Learning Zone, and a well-sequenced curriculum with particular strengths in early reading and mathematics. However, achievement is a clear concern. Pupils' outcomes at the end of key stage 2 are below national averages in several measures, and not all pupils leave ready for the next stage of learning. The teaching of writing is inconsistent, with gaps in grammar, spelling and handwriting not always identified or addressed. In the early years, interactions that promote language development are not consistently strong enough, and pupils' knowledge of fundamental British values beyond respect is less secure. Leaders have identified the right priorities and are taking action, but these improvements are not yet fully embedded. This was a full section 5 inspection of a Catholic primary academy within St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust. The school is smaller than average, has above-average levels of SEN support and location deprivation, and below-average EHC plans. Overall, the school is fulfilling expected standards in most areas but needs attention in achievement.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 213 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 44.6%
Girls: 55.4% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 22.6% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 29.1% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 23.1 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 27.3 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 24.4 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 19 | 29 |
| 2 | 8 | 14 | 22 |
| 3 | 9 | 21 | 30 |
| 4 | 12 | 14 | 26 |
| 5 | 14 | 21 | 35 |
| 6 | 18 | 13 | 31 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 40.8% |
| African | 16% |
| Indian | 15.5% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 8.9% |
| Asian, Other | 4.7% |
| Mixed, Other | 3.3% |
| White, Other | 1.4% |
| Irish | 1.4% |
| Unclassified | 0.9% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.9% |
| Pakistani | 0.9% |
| White & Asian | 0.5% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Needs attention |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Needs attention |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Expected standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Expected standard |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| > Early Years | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 30 Jun 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 30 Jun 2026 | School inspection |
| 10 May 2022 | School inspection |
| 25 Sep 2018 | Full inspection |
| 31 Jan 2018 | Short inspection |
| 02 Jul 2014 | Full inspection |
| 15 Jan 2013 | Interim assessment |
| 10 Aug 2012 | Academy conversion letter |
| 09 Dec 2009 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as St Joseph's Catholic Primary School | |
| 09 Dec 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 06 Feb 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 06 Feb 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 18 Feb 2002 | Full inspection |
| 18 Feb 2002 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture where concerns are actively identified and managed.
- Pupils are happy, safe, proud, polite and kind, and they feel valued in a calm, well-structured environment.
- Attendance is in line with national averages and has improved recently; attendance for pupils with SEND is above national averages.
- Behaviour is well managed through high expectations and positive relationships, and bullying is rare and not tolerated.
- Pastoral support is highly effective and tailored to pupils' needs, including for vulnerable pupils.
- The curriculum is well sequenced from early years to Year 6 and leaders have an accurate understanding of teaching quality.
- Teaching of early reading and mathematics is strong, with gaps identified and addressed quickly.
- Teachers have detailed subject knowledge and adapt teaching to support all pupils to learn.
- Early years provision helps children settle quickly, behave very well, and develop basic skills; SEND needs are identified swiftly.
- Inclusion is a strength; pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those with EAL are well supported and included in school life.
- The Learning Zone provides bespoke support that helps pupils with SEND build skills and knowledge.
- Leadership and governance are effective, with clear priorities, timely action, and appropriate support and challenge from governors and trustees.
- Staff wellbeing is considered, and professional development is prioritised and having an impact.
- Personal development is well sequenced, teaching safety, healthy relationships, mental health and respect.
- A strong sense of community exists, with pupils taking valued leadership roles.
- A wide range of extra-curricular activities is offered, and leaders monitor attendance to ensure all groups can take part.
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils do not achieve as well as they should in national tests at the end of key stage 2.
- Not all pupils are routinely ready for the next stage of learning when they leave Year 6.
- Teaching of writing is inconsistent; gaps in letter formation, grammar and spelling are not always highlighted or addressed.
- Highly effective teaching is not yet embedded consistently across the school.
- Interactions in the early years do not consistently promote children's language development.
- Pupils' knowledge of fundamental British values beyond respect is not as strong as it should be.
- Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes remain below national averages in some key stage 2 measures over time.
Ofsted Parent View
The latest published parent view scores are from 2022. Ofsted only publish scores if there have been more than 10 responses to the survey.
| Strongly Agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly Disagree | Don't Know | Total Responses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. My child is happy at this school. | 74 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 88 |
| 2. My child feels safe at this school. | 73 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88 |
| 3. The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved. | 55 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 88 |
| 4. My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively. | 69 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 5. The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year. | 51 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 88 |
| 6. When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly. | 35 | 33 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 7. My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed. | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| 8. The school has high expectations for my child. | 39 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 88 |
| 9. My child does well at this school. | 58 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 88 |
| 10. The school lets me know how my child is doing. | 38 | 45 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 88 |
| 11. There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school. | 51 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 88 |
| 12. My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school. | 43 | 35 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 88 |
| 13. The school supports my child’s wider personal development. | 46 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 88 |
| 14. I would recommend this school to another parent. | 86 | 2 |
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 53% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 3% |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 102 | ||
| Maths | 103 |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -0.8 | ||
| Writing | -0.2 | ||
| Maths | -0.3 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 7 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 4 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 2 | 2 |
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