School Chooser

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic141 pupilsNurserySheffieldRotherham
School Chooser Score
10
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 4 to 25, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 23% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, May 2021
Reached the expected level at 1111%England 63%
Attendance92.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families37%Far more than most schools
Places55 spare141 pupils, 196 places
Pupils per teacher29.7School workforce census

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a converter academy in Sheffield for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 141 pupils and room for 196. About 37 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 10 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 23% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2021.

Lidgett Lane, Dinnington, Sheffield, S25 2QD01909 550123stjosephs-dinnington.co.ukMrs Zoe Holt executive headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 26 May 2021, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A later, shorter visit on 17 December 2024 said: “Standards maintained”.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

This inspection is more than 5 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
17 December 2024UngradedStandards maintained

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

18 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1111%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score98.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score95.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 26%26%20172018: 25%25%20182019: 37%37%20192023: 48%48%20232024: 50%50%20242025: 11%11%2025
Since 2017: -15%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017RotherhamEngland
Pupils tested182221192419
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths11%50%48%37%25%26%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%5%0%0%0%0%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score98.0104.0100.0102.0100.0103.0104.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score95.0104.0100.0105.096.0102.0103.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score98.0106.099.0103.098.0103.0103.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard39%73%57%58%63%58%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard39%77%62%68%25%53%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)17%73%71%47%54%42%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.4-4.4-3.4-3.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.0-1.7-7.0-4.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged0%45%30%23%15%17%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged18%55%64%67%36%43%

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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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
0%18%
Gap 18 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
0%20%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 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 places122 pupils for 196 places, 2024/25
62% full

74 places were empty (38% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same 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 Rotherham 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 roll141Census January 2026
Places19672% full
Pupils from low-income families35%37% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English19%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%26 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%2 pupils with a plan
Average class size17.38 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)34%£69,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls70 / 71
White British pupils70%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 15.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (20), Specific learning difficulty (5), emotional and mental health (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll141128148145135142
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals35%31%37%35%39%37%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language19%20%12%10%11%13%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support19%32%22%24%27%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%2%2%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school21.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils35.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.6%6.3%7.8%8.0%6.0%5.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.3%3.7%4.6%5.1%4.0%3.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.3%2.6%3.2%3.0%2.1%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence21.2%14.1%21.3%24.6%23.0%9.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate35.92.78.36.74.2
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00001

Staff and money

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

Teachers4.6full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher29.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£41,023
Teachers who left in the year28%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher18.02024/25

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£8,903England £7,128. Total £1.1m
Income per pupil£9,597England £7,587. Total £1.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,790England £3,405
Money in reserve3%Very little put by: £30k, £245 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£86kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,903spent 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 m68712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate120 per 1,000 people31% higher than the England average
Typical house price£190,000Rotherham
Nearest bus stop100 mLidgett Lane/Leopold Street, 26 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
Dinnington Community Primary SchoolAcademy490 m184Requires improvement 20242Compare
Anston Park Infant SchoolAcademy930 m155Good 202250Compare
Anston Park Junior SchoolAcademy930 m206Requires improvement 20231Compare
Anston Greenlands Primary SchoolAcademy0.6 miles211Good 202365Compare
Anston Brook Primary SchoolAcademy1.2 miles160Report card 202618Compare
Laughton Junior and Infant SchoolAcademy1.3 miles188Good 202330Compare
Laughton All Saints' CofE Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles104Requires improvement 20249Compare
Anston Hillcrest Primary SchoolAcademy1.7 miles237No overall grade 202559Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Joseph's Catholic Primary School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats23%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 10 is 19 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 29 · highest 96100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Trinity Croft CofE Primary AcademyAcademy6.4 miles184Good 202333Compare
St Joseph and St Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic13.5 miles153Good 202323Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 10 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 10% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 4 to 25. 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%below
-0.25
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 18 pupils
Ofsted inspection14% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 5.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.06
DfE progress measure; 18 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.18
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.14
2024/25; 113 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.18
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 18 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 St Joseph's Catholic Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School scores 10 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 23% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 4 to 25, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

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

Ofsted rated St Joseph's Catholic Primary School good at its last full inspection on 26 May 2021. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are St Joseph's Catholic Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 11% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

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

141 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 196 places, so it is 72% full.

Is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 74 places were empty in 2024/25 (38% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?

Pupils were in school 92.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 17.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

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

Contact and details

Address
Lidgett Lane, Dinnington, Sheffield, S25 2QD
Telephone
01909 550123
Website
www.stjosephs-dinnington.co.uk
Executive Headteacher
Mrs Zoe Holt
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Hallam
Multi-academy trust
St Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust (14 schools)
Local authority
Rotherham
Ward
Dinnington
Constituency
Rother Valley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 February 2014 (academy converter)
URN
140590 · LAESTAB 3723338 · UKPRN 10044813
Formerly
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Where these figures come from