School Chooser

Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic182 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubSaltburn-by-the-SeaRedcar and Cleveland
School Chooser Score
88
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 65 to 97, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 82% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
Reached the expected level at 1182%England 63%
Attendance95.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families15%Far fewer than most schools
Places28 spare182 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher17.2School workforce census
Pupils on roll182Census January 2026

Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy is a converter academy in Saltburn-by-the-Sea for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 182 pupils and room for 210. About 15 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 88 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 82% of the 50 schools most like it.

Rosecroft Lane, Loftus, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, TS13 4PZ01287 640613stjosephs.npcat.org.ukMr Simon Geaves headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

22 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1182%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level14%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 92%92%20172018: 91%91%20182019: 72%72%20192023: 71%71%20232024: 85%85%20242025: 82%82%2025
Since 2017: -10%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Redcar and ClevelandEngland
Pupils tested222017182325
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths82%85%71%72%91%92%66%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths14%0%0%6%17%20%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0108.0110.0104.0111.0109.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0108.0106.0109.0108.0108.0105.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0106.0106.0113.0109.0107.0105.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard86%85%88%78%100%100%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard91%90%88%94%100%96%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)82%90%71%89%91%92%
Reading progressReading progress score+4.8-1.8+4.8+4.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.2+2.6+3.2+4.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged67%86%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged88%94%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
67%88%
Gap 21 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
69%100%
Gap 31 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%14%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places143 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
68% full

67 places were empty (32% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 7% since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Redcar and Cleveland council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll182Census January 2026
Places21087% full
Pupils from low-income families13%15% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%33 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size20.18 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)16%£37,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls98 / 84
White British pupils95%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 21.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (11), Specific learning difficulty (11), language and communications needs (10), Moderate learning difficulty (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll182179180177169180
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals13%15%13%15%16%16%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%0%1%2%1%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support8%6%6%12%16%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%1%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school8.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.0%5.9%5.2%6.1%2.0%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.6%4.4%3.9%4.8%1.6%2.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.4%1.6%1.3%1.3%0.4%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence8.2%11.8%10.9%16.2%3.2%5.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers9.9full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher17.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£47,765
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.42024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£5,942England £7,128. Total £1.0m
Income per pupil£6,936England £7,587. Total £1.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,170England £3,405
Money in reserve9%A healthy amount put by: £112k, £654 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£170kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,942spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m5912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate78 per 1,000 people15% lower than the England average
Typical house price£165,000Redcar and Cleveland
Nearest bus stop30 mSt Joseph's Primary Academy, 1 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Handale Primary SchoolAcademy580 m183Good 202086Compare
Hummersea Primary SchoolCouncil1000 m261No overall grade 202533Compare
Whitecliffe AcademyAcademy1.1 miles91Not inspected40Compare
Badger Hill AcademyAcademy2.0 miles138Good 202296Compare
St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.7 miles307Good 202259Compare
Lingdale Primary SchoolAcademy3.0 miles86Requires improvement 202158Compare
Skelton Primary SchoolAcademy3.2 miles462Report card 202632Compare
Lockwood Primary SchoolFoundation3.7 miles155Good 202379Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats82%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 88 is 24 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 65 · highest 99100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 88 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 88% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 65 to 97. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%above
+0.18
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 22 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.14
DfE progress measure; 22 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.07
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.05
2024/25; 122 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.18
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 22 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy scores 88 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 82% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 65 to 97, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

How good are Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 82% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 14% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy have?

182 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 87% full.

Is Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 67 places were empty in 2024/25 (32% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy?

Pupils were in school 95.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 8% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy?

The average class had 20.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Rosecroft Lane, Loftus, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, TS13 4PZ
Telephone
01287 640613
Website
stjosephs.npcat.org.uk
Headteacher
Mr Simon Geaves
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Middlesbrough
Multi-academy trust
Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust (38 schools)
Local authority
Redcar and Cleveland
Ward
Loftus
Constituency
Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 October 2014 (academy converter)
URN
141457 · LAESTAB 8073308 · UKPRN 10047607
Formerly
Saint Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School

Where these figures come from