St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe
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St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe is a sponsored academy in Pontefract for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 204 pupils and room for 230. About 29 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 34 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.
Barnsley Road, Moorthorpe, Pontefract, WF9 2BP01977 651755sjm.bkcat.co.ukMrs Kelly Picton headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 30 June 2022 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.
This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
29 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Wakefield | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 21 | 14 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 55% | 57% | 57% | 81% | 67% | 93% | 65% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 10% | 10% | 14% | 9% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 103.0 | 105.0 | 102.0 | 108.0 | 104.0 | 110.0 | 104.8 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 104.0 | 104.0 | 105.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 | 110.0 | 104.6 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 103.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 | 110.0 | 107.0 | 114.0 | 104.0 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 59% | 67% | 63% | 90% | 81% | 100% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 83% | 73% | 73% | 94% | 90% | 100% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 72% | 80% | 87% | 84% | 81% | 93% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -2.6 | +5.3 | +0.8 | +6.5 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | +0.4 | +3.5 | +2.8 | +5.5 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 45% | 50% | – | 67% | 38% | – | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 61% | 60% | – | 84% | 85% | – | – | – |
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. 3 of the 4 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
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.
About 21 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. 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 Wakefield 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.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.5 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (15), emotional and mental health (13), Specific learning difficulty (6), Moderate learning difficulty (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Other difficulty or disability (4).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 204 | 213 | 207 | 199 | 207 | 216 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 28% | 30% | 21% | 23% | 22% | 17% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 32% | 38% | 37% | 41% | 42% | 43% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 18% | 14% | 9% | 6% | 10% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 5.5% | 6.9% | 7.8% | 8.7% | 5.6% | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.1% | 5.2% | 6.4% | 7.0% | 4.6% | 3.0% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.4% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 1.0% | 1.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 16.1% | 22.4% | 27.6% | 30.2% | 12.4% | 7.1% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 1.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
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.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moorthorpe Primary School With Inclusion Resource | Council | 150 m | 216 | Good 2024 | 10 | Compare |
| South Elmsall Carlton Junior and Infant School | Council | 580 m | 454 | Good 2022 | 12 | Compare |
| Ash Grove Primary Academy | Academy | 0.7 miles | 265 | Good 2023 | 11 | Compare |
| Northfield Primary School | Academy | 0.8 miles | 348 | Requires improvement 2022 | 91 | Compare |
| South Kirkby Academy | Academy | 1.3 miles | 186 | Good 2023 | 7 | Compare |
| South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School | Council | 1.4 miles | 208 | Report card 2025 | 38 | Compare |
| Upton Primary School | Council | 2.0 miles | 453 | Good 2022 | 14 | Compare |
| Hooton Pagnell All Saints Church of England Primary School | Academy | 2.2 miles | 87 | Good 2022 | 36 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe 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.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 34 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 34% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 17 to 59. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 25% | in line | -0.07 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 29 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.01 | Ofsted grade, 4.2 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.04 | DfE progress measure; 29 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | +0.02 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | -0.03 | 2024/25; 174 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | below | -0.07 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 29 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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, Moorthorpe a good school?
The figures are weak. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe scores 34 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 17 to 59, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe good at its last full inspection on 30 June 2022. 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, Moorthorpe's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 55% 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.
How many pupils does St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe have?
204 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 230 places, so it is 89% full.
Is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe oversubscribed?
Probably not. 21 places were empty in 2024/25 (10% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe?
Pupils were in school 94.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 16% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe?
The average class had 25.5 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
- Barnsley Road, Moorthorpe, Pontefract, WF9 2BP
- Telephone
- 01977 651755
- Website
- www.sjm.bkcat.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Kelly Picton
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic, Diocese of Leeds (rc)
- Multi-academy trust
- The Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust (15 schools)
- Local authority
- Wakefield
- Ward
- South Elmsall and South Kirkby
- Constituency
- Normanton and Hemsworth
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 February 2014 (new provision)
- URN
- 140558 · LAESTAB 3842012 · UKPRN 10044575
- Formerly
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.