St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Carterton has made significant strides since its last inspection, improving from a previous grade of requires improvement to a current good rating across all areas. The school fosters a positive and inclusive environment for pupils, who are confident and behave well, demonstrating meaningful relationships and a sense of belonging. The school’s ambitious curriculum effectively supports learning, with particularly strong foundations laid in early reading and our understanding of the needs of pupils with SEND being accounted for. Leaders are committed to ongoing professional development, which is enhancing teaching practices.

Strengths

• Strong leadership and management support professional development for staff
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum that builds knowledge progressively
• Effective early reading instruction enabling pupils to read fluently
• Positive pupil behaviour and attitudes towards learning
• Strong community engagement and opportunities for pupils' personal development

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, staff's subject knowledge requires further development
• Assessment practices are not fully developed in a few subjects, impacting pupils' learning progression

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, Carterton attended 91.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 26.5% 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, 4.3% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton 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, Carterton had 24.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 42.6% 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, 24.3% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.5% 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 2024–25 St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton received £7,628 and spent £7,299 for each of its 117 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £93,000 (-£793 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company, income was £7,222 and spending £7,198 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Carterton · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton is part of The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney Witney
• Holy Trinity Catholic School, Chipping Norton Chipping Norton
• St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington Kidlington
• Greyfriars Catholic School Oxford
• Our Lady's Roman Catholic Primary School Oxford
• St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore Oxford
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Bicester Bicester
• Blessed George Napier Catholic School and Sixth Form Banbury
• St John's Catholic Primary School Banbury
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Banbury Banbury

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

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

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton was last inspected in January 2024.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton has 107 pupils on roll.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 27% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton is at Lawton Avenue, Carterton, Oxfordshire, OX18 3JY.