School Chooser

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and Nursery

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic200 pupilsNurseryCanvey IslandEssex
School Chooser Score
62
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 37 to 81
Out of 100. Better than 67% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, February 2024
Reached the expected level at 1174%England 63%
Attendance95.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families18%A bit fewer than most schools
Places11 spare200 pupils, 211 places
Pupils per teacher20.9School workforce census

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and Nursery is a converter academy in Canvey Island for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 200 pupils and room for 211. About 18 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 62 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Vaagen Road, Canvey Island, SS8 9DP01268 683903stjosephscanvey.netMr James Green headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 27 February 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1174%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level7%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 53%53%20172018: 61%61%20182019: 59%59%20192023: 52%52%20232024: 61%61%20242025: 74%74%2025
Since 2017: +21%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018†2017†EssexEngland
Pupils tested273129273130
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths74%61%52%59%61%53%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths7%6%0%11%10%7%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0104.0102.0103.0103.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0106.0102.0103.0106.0104.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0108.0105.0101.0106.0102.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard81%71%76%70%68%70%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard78%74%59%70%84%80%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)78%68%69%85%90%90%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.9-1.6-0.5+1.3
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.3-1.2+2.5+2.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged71%43%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged58%55%

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.

† These results are for St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Canvey Island, the school this one replaced in September 2018. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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 11Boys vs girls
71%77%
Gap 6 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.

A few spare places186 pupils for 211 places, 2024/25
88% full

About 25 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 8% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

How places were given out for September 2026. The last place was given under this rule: Criterion 8.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary3051LA

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 roll200Census January 2026
Places21195% full
Pupils from low-income families18%18% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English9%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%27 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%8 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.86 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils17%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)21%£58,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls102 / 98
White British pupils66%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 22.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (16), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), emotional and mental health (4), Other difficulty or disability (3), Severe learning difficulty (3), Moderate learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll200183197201203194
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals18%17%15%17%15%9%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language9%9%6%5%4%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support19%15%9%9%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school6.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils4.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.4%4.5%6.8%6.2%2.7%5.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.9%3.4%4.9%4.8%2.0%3.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.5%1.1%1.8%1.4%0.7%2.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence6.8%8.0%16.2%19.3%5.6%17.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate4.92.514.93.01.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers9.4full-time equivalent, 12 people
Pupils per teacher20.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£45,640
Teachers who left in the year34%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher14.12024/25

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£7,399England £7,128. Total £1.4m
Income per pupil£7,262England £7,587. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,645England £3,405
Money in reserve5%Not much put by: £71k, £387 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£25kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,399spent 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 m56812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate98 per 1,000 people8% higher than the England average
Typical house price£360,000Castle Point
Nearest bus stop240 mConvent Road, 11 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
William Read Primary AcademyAcademy700 m189Not inspected29Compare
St Katherine's Church of England Primary SchoolFoundation890 m213Good 202440Compare
Winter Gardens AcademyAcademy930 m411Good 20226Compare
Canvey Island Infant School and NurseryCouncil0.7 miles216Not inspectedCompare
Canvey Primary School and NurseryCouncil0.7 miles239Good 202382Compare
Lubbins Park Primary AcademyAcademy0.8 miles211No overall grade 202561Compare
Northwick Park Primary and Nursery AcademyAcademy1.0 miles644Good 202372Compare
Leigh Beck Junior SchoolAcademy1.1 miles319Report card 202679Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and Nursery 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.

Beats67%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 62 is 13 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 48 · highest 97100

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 and Nursery, 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
St George's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy8.6 miles209Good 202376Compare
The Pilgrim School (A Church of England Primary With Nursery)Academy11.3 miles237No overall grade 202597Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 62 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 62% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 37 to 81. 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%in line
-0.01
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 27 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.09
DfE progress measure; 27 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.15
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.07
2024/25; 176 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.00
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 27 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 and Nursery a good school?

It is about average. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and Nursery scores 62 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 37 to 81, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

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

Ofsted rated St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and Nursery good at its last full inspection on 27 February 2024.

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

In summer 2025, 74% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 7% went further and reached the higher level.

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

200 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 211 places, so it is 95% full.

Is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and Nursery oversubscribed?

Probably not. 25 places were empty in 2024/25 (12% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

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

Pupils were in school 95.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 7% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

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

The average class had 24.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 17% of classes 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
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Vaagen Road, Canvey Island, SS8 9DP
Telephone
01268 683903
Website
www.stjosephscanvey.net
Headteacher
Mr James Green
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Brentwood
Multi-academy trust
Assisi Catholic Trust (9 schools)
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Canvey Island Central
Constituency
Castle Point
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2018 (academy converter)
URN
145994 · LAESTAB 8813411 · UKPRN 10080966
Formerly
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Canvey Island

Where these figures come from