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St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Primary Ages 3-11 224 pupils Retford
All schools in Retford

St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is an academy converter in Retford for pupils aged 3 to 11. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It has 224 pupils on roll. In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

KS2 results: 2025.

Type Primary / Academy converter
Age Range 3-11
Religion Roman Catholic
Address Babworth Road
Retford
Nottinghamshire
DN22 7BP
Phone 01777702850
Reference Number 142158

General Makeup

Number of pupils 224
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 47.32%
Girls: 52.68%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 18.5%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 20.1%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 28.3
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 29
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 27.7

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 11 17 28
2 16 14 30
3 18 13 31
4 17 15 32
5 13 16 29
6 7 15 22

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 71.4%
White, Other 12.5%
Indian 3.1%
Mixed, Other 3.1%
African 2.7%
Asian, Other 1.3%
Chinese 0.9%
White & Black (Caribbean) 0.4%
White & Black (African) 0.4%

Overall Ofsted Rating
Last Report Date 22 Feb 2024 – no overall grade published for this inspection
Date Report
22 Feb 2024 School inspection
24 Apr 2018 Short inspection
03 Jul 2015 Academy conversion letter
04 Mar 2014 Full inspection:
Previously as St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
09 Jan 2012 Interim assessment
27 Jan 2009 Full inspection:
17 Nov 2005 Full inspection:
22 Jan 2001 Full inspection

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 70%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 13%

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 109
Maths 105

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 -1.9
Writing 0.6
Maths 0.8

How many students meet the standards

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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.

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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.

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Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 14 0
Third Preference 7 0
From another Local Authority 0 0

Previous years

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Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy had 200 pupils for 210 places. 10 places (4.8%) were unfilled.

Pupils and places

Reception intake in the “Retford Primary” planning area

Nottinghamshire counted 243 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 280 in 2029–30, up 15%.

201620172018201920212022202320242025
Places 210210210210210210210210210
Pupils 194204187196199194191198200
Unfilled 7.6%2.9%11.0%6.7%5.2%7.6%9.0%5.7%4.8%

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, a Voluntary Academy attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

201620172018201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 3.0%3.1%3.3%3.9%3.2%5.0%4.8%4.3%3.8%
Unauthorised absence 0.9%0.6%0.7%0.6%0.5%0.9%0.9%1.5%1.3%
Severely absent pupils 0.0%0.0%0.0%0.6%0.0%1.7%0.0%0.0%0.6%

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, a Voluntary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.00.00.91.80.00.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusions 0000000000

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, a Voluntary Academy had 23.7 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

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 12.312.911.412.513.212.812.112.414.012.512.1
Teachers who left state teaching 0.0%12.2%4.4%11.1%10.1%7.1%10.9%0.0%10.9%0.0%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 33.3%27.3%80.0%16.7%–58.3%69.2%45.5%60.0%20.0%–
Sick days per teacher 0.71.13.10.4–5.25.27.32.20.9–

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, 13.4% of pupils at St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
Moderate learning difficulty 13 0
Speech, language and communication needs 10 3
Autistic spectrum disorder 3 0
Social, emotional and mental health 3 0
No specialist assessment of need 1 0

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, a Voluntary Academy received £6,976 and spent £6,867 for each of its 207 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £51,000 (£245 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of St Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,455 and spending £7,395 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

201920202021202220242025
Revenue reserve £126,000£108,000£48,000£47,000£26,000£51,000
per pupil £601£492£217£223£121£245
In-year balance £34,000-£22,000-£31,000-£13,000£3,000£22,000
per pupil £162-£100-£140-£62£12£108

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.

Name Distance
Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School
Whitaker Close, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7QH
0.63 miles
St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy
Grove Street, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 6LD
0.71 miles
Ordsall Primary School
Ordsall Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7SL
0.78 miles
Carr Hill Primary and Nursery School
Tiln Lane, Carr Hill Primary School, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 6SW
0.99 miles
Thrumpton Primary Academy
Thrumpton Close, Retford, DN22 7AQ
1.02 miles
Bracken Lane Primary Academy
Bracken Lane, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7EU
1.24 miles
Sutton-Cum-Lound CofE School
Portland Place, Sutton-Cum-Lound, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 8PP
2.38 miles
Clarborough Primary School
Hillview Crescent, Clarborough, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 9JZ
2.6 miles
Ranby CofE Primary School
Blyth Road, Ranby, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 8HZ
2.84 miles
Gamston St Peter's CofE Primary School
Stanboard Lane, Gamston, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 0PE
3.29 miles
Elkesley Primary and Nursery School
Headland Avenue, Elkesley, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 8AQ
3.64 miles
Ranskill Primary School
Cherry Tree Walk, Ranskill, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 8LH
4.9 miles
North Wheatley Church of England Primary School
Sturton Road, South Wheatley, North Wheatley C of E Primary, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 9DH
4.97 miles
Name Distance
Retford Oaks Academy
Babworth Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7NJ
0.12 miles
St Giles School
Babworth Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7NJ
0.13 miles
The Elizabethan Academy
Hallcroft Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7PY
0.64 miles

All schools in Retford · Nottinghamshire local authority: places and applications

St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is part of St Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

How many pupils does St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have?

St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has 224 pupils on roll.

What age range does St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy cover?

St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?

St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is at Babworth Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7BP.

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