St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy

St Joseph’s Catholic Voluntary Academy demonstrates good overall effectiveness in providing quality education, with a strong emphasis on English and mathematics. The school has made notable improvements since its establishment, fostering a welcoming environment where students feel supported by staff who encourage high aspirations. Pupils perform well academically and benefit from rich learning experiences that develop their personal and social skills. The school’s commitment to safeguarding and the support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is commendable, reflecting a holistic approach to education.

Strengths

• Good quality of education across multiple subjects
• Strong focus on English and mathematics leading to rapid improvements
• Well-structured early reading and phonics programs
• Positive and caring school atmosphere
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs
• Rich outdoor learning spaces
• High expectations for pupil behavior
• Engaging curriculum that builds knowledge over time

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum planning for foundation subjects is not fully established
• New early years staff require additional support to establish routines

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 Voluntary Academy attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.4% 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, 3.8% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy 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 Voluntary Academy had 18.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.8% 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, 33.3% of pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.8% 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 Voluntary Academy received £7,590 and spent £9,597 for each of its 146 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £168,000 (-£1,156 per pupil).

Across all 25 schools of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,472 and spending £7,889 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 Matlock · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is part of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs 25 schools. The nearest others:

• Christ the King Catholic Voluntary Academy Alfreton
• St Elizabeth's Catholic Voluntary Academy Belper
• The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy Nottingham
• Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy Ilkeston
• St Alban's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St Thomas Catholic Voluntary Academy Ilkeston
• St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St George's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby

What is St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy have?

St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy has 156 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy cover?

St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 37% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy?

St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Chesterfield Road, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3FT.