St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School is a caring, vibrant Roman Catholic primary academy where pupils achieve well and are well prepared for their next stage. Inspectors found the school meeting expected standards across achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, and leadership and governance, with personal development and wellbeing a clear strength. Pupils benefit from an extensive personal development programme, strong pastoral and wellbeing support for families, and a broad curriculum that develops vocabulary and oracy; outcomes are in line with national averages, and disadvantaged pupils outperform their peers nationally. Safeguarding standards are met. The school's main areas for improvement are narrow but clear. A small number of pupils, including some with SEND, do not attend as regularly as they could, and leaders should keep analysing and supporting their attendance. In the classroom, teachers do not always identify and address pupils' errors and misconceptions, particularly in writing, and adaptation for pupils with SEND is not consistently effective across the wider curriculum. Early years, phonics, behaviour, and leadership and governance are notable strengths, and the trust and local governors provide effective support and challenge. This was a full section 5 inspection of an academy in the St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust, led by an interim headteacher.

Strengths

• Extensive personal development and wellbeing programme sits at the heart of the school.
• Pupils are well supported to keep themselves safe and healthy, including through tailored PSHE and RSE.
• Pupils have a secure understanding of fundamental British values and show kindness and tolerance.
• A wide range of trips, clubs and enrichment activities develops pupils' talents and interests.
• Strong wellbeing support for pupils and families builds highly positive relationships.
• All pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, engage fully in personal development.
• Pupils achieve well overall, with disadvantaged pupils performing above their peers nationally.
• Pupils' behaviour is highly positive, classrooms are calm and bullying is dealt with quickly.
• Attendance has improved and persistent absence has reduced.
• The curriculum is broad, well ordered and builds vocabulary and oracy across subjects.
• Teachers typically explain new ideas clearly and help pupils practise new learning.
• Early years provision gives children a positive start, with well-designed play-based learning and consistent phonics.
• Leaders quickly identify SEND in early years and adapt activities so children make suitable progress.
• Leaders, governors and trustees have a well-informed view and manage improvement effectively.
• Staff feel valued and are supported with effective professional learning and consideration of workload.
• Leaders work closely with families and external partners to support vulnerable pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• A small number of pupils, including some with SEND, do not attend as regularly as they could.
• Teachers do not consistently identify and address pupils' errors and misconceptions, particularly in writing.
• Adaptation for pupils with SEND is not consistently effective across the wider curriculum.

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 and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.8% 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 and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 2 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 and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy had 22.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.4% 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, 13.5% of pupils at St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.1% 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 and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy received £7,000 and spent £6,979 for each of its 336 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £82,000 (£243 per pupil).

Across all 22 schools of St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust, income was £6,697 and spending £6,817 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 Bury · Bury local authority: places and applications

St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is part of St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 27 schools. The nearest others:

• St. Marie's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Bury
• Our Lady & St Paul's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Heywood
• St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy Bury
• Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Bury
• Guardian Angels Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Bury
• St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Rochdale, a Voluntary Academy Heywood
• St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Manchester
• St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Manchester
• St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Ramsbottom, a Voluntary Academy Bury
• St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Manchester

What is St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have?

St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has 342 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy cover?

St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?

St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is at Danesmoor Drive, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 6ER.