St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Northfleet

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Northfleet has achieved an outstanding overall effectiveness rating in its first inspection by Ofsted under section 5. The school exhibits a warm and welcoming environment where pupils thrive, demonstrating high levels of attendance, respect, and a love for learning. The leadership team, including new executives, have fostered a culture of continuous improvement and excellently cater to the diverse needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents express satisfaction with the care provided, although some desire improved communication.

Strengths

• Outstanding quality of education across all domains.
• High levels of pupil engagement and enjoyment in learning.
• Strong leadership and effective governance.
• Rich and diverse curriculum, especially in music and languages.
• Effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Pupils demonstrate kindness, resilience, and teamwork.

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, Northfleet attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.7% 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, 0.9% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Northfleet 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, Northfleet had 21.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 15.2% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Northfleet were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.7% 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, Northfleet received £6,754 and spent £6,097 for each of its 214 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £126,000 (£591 per pupil).

Across all 30 schools of Kent Catholic Schools' Partnership, income was £6,963 and spending £6,776 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 Gravesend · Kent local authority: places and applications

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Northfleet is part of Kent Catholic Schools' Partnership, which runs 33 schools. The nearest others:

• St John's Catholic Primary School, Gravesend Gravesend
• Our Lady of Hartley Catholic Primary School, Hartley, Longfield Longfield
• English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School Rochester
• St Bartholomew's Catholic Primary School, Swanley Swanley
• St William of Perth Roman Catholic Primary School Rochester
• St Michael Catholic Primary and Nursery School Chatham
• St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School Chatham
• More Park Catholic Primary School West Malling
• St Benedict's Catholic Primary School Chatham
• St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School Gillingham

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

The latest Ofsted rating for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Northfleet is Outstanding, from an inspection in February 2023.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Northfleet was last inspected in February 2023.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Northfleet has 217 pupils on roll.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Northfleet for pupils aged 5 to 11.

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

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

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

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Northfleet is at Springhead Road, Northfleet, Gravesend, Kent, DA11 9QZ.