School Chooser

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Gateshead

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic169 pupilsGateshead
School Chooser Score
65
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 38 to 84, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 79% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, September 2023
Reached the expected level at 1162%England 63%
Attendance96.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families41%Far more than most schools
Places41 spare169 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher21.4School workforce census

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Gateshead is a converter academy in Gateshead for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 169 pupils and room for 210. About 41 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 65 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 79% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 1LR0191 490 1517stjosephsgateshead.bwcet.comMrs Sonia Fraser headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 27 September 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1162%
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 score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 57%57%20172018: 59%59%20182019: 68%68%20192023: 46%46%20232024: 52%52%20242025: 62%62%2025
Since 2017: +5%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†GatesheadEngland
Pupils tested292924282930
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths62%52%46%68%59%57%67%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths14%7%0%14%0%7%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0102.0105.0104.0107.0102.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0102.0102.0105.0104.0105.0105.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0103.0104.0105.0107.0107.0106.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard66%59%67%68%79%63%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard83%66%58%71%69%73%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)83%76%54%86%66%87%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.4+0.3+2.6-0.5
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.6-0.1+0.1+2.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged22%53%33%77%27%38%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged80%50%53%60%78%79%

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 Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Gateshead, the school this one replaced in June 2021. 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 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
22%80%
Gap 58 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
65%58%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
67%62%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 4 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.

A few spare places178 pupils for 207 places, 2024/25
86% full

About 29 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 11% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

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 Gateshead 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 roll169Census January 2026
Places21080% full
Pupils from low-income families41%41% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English47%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support11%18 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%2 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.17 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils14%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)40%£105,400 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls68 / 101
White British pupils49%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 21.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (9), emotional and mental health (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Specific learning difficulty (2), Other difficulty or disability (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025202420232022
Pupils on roll169178191182198
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals41%39%41%40%38%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language47%43%41%39%39%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%9%11%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils6.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.0%5.0%5.6%5.3%2.5%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.9%3.1%3.4%4.3%1.9%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.0%1.8%2.2%1.1%0.6%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.3%17.3%17.1%14.1%3.5%5.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate6.71.60.60.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0000

† These attendance figures are for St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Gateshead, the school this one replaced in June 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers7.9full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher21.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£55,877
Teachers who left in the year23%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.22024/25

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£7,163England £7,128. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£8,067England £7,587. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,354England £3,405
Money in reserve10%A healthy amount put by: £139k, £781 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£161kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,163spent 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 m1,06712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate267 per 1,000 people193% higher than the England average
Typical house price£165,000Gateshead
Nearest bus stop80 mArthur Street, 43 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
Caedmon Community Primary SchoolCouncil560 m231Good 202380Compare
South Street Community Primary SchoolCouncil630 m232Good 202479Compare
Brighton Avenue Primary SchoolCouncil920 m404No overall grade 202592Compare
Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, GatesheadAcademy0.7 miles230Outstanding 202397Compare
Kelvin Grove Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles309Report card 202642Compare
Bede Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles204Not inspected52Compare
St Aidan's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles213Good 202291Compare
St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School, GatesheadAcademy0.8 miles156Not inspected20Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Gateshead 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.

Beats79%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 65 is 23 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 42 · highest 95100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 65 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 65% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 38 to 84. 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%in line
-0.08
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 29 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.04
DfE progress measure; 29 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.16
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.06
2024/25; 161 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 29 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, Gateshead a good school?

It is about average. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Gateshead scores 65 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 79% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 38 to 84, 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, Gateshead's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Gateshead good at its last full inspection on 27 September 2023.

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

In summer 2025, 62% 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 St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Gateshead have?

169 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 80% full.

Is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Gateshead oversubscribed?

Probably not. 29 places were empty in 2024/25 (14% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

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

Pupils were in school 96.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

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

The average class had 24.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 14% 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
Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 1LR
Telephone
0191 490 1517
Website
stjosephsgateshead.bwcet.com
Headteacher
Mrs Sonia Fraser
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
Multi-academy trust
Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust (46 schools)
Local authority
Gateshead
Ward
Bridges
Constituency
Gateshead Central and Whickham
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 June 2021 (academy converter)
URN
148604 · LAESTAB 3903317 · UKPRN 10088225
Formerly
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Gateshead

Where these figures come from