St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell
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St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Chorley for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 92 pupils and room for 105. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 90 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 92% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2019.
Bury Lane, Withnell, Chorley, PR6 8SD01254 830400stjosephswithnell.co.ukMrs Katie Cunliffe headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 October 2019, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Outstanding overall. A later, shorter visit on 17 December 2024 said: “Standards maintained”.
This inspection is more than 6 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 17 December 2024 | Ungraded | Standards maintained |
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
14 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.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 9 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 71% | 79% | 83% | 87% | 100% | 100% | 61% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 14% | 29% | 25% | 47% | 50% | 44% | 8% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 107.0 | 111.0 | 111.0 | 110.0 | 110.0 | 114.0 | 105.2 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 107.0 | 108.0 | 107.0 | 111.0 | 110.0 | 115.0 | 104.2 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 105.0 | 110.0 | 107.0 | 113.0 | 112.0 | 114.0 | 104.9 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 86% | 79% | 92% | 93% | 100% | 100% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 93% | 79% | 92% | 93% | 100% | 100% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 71% | 79% | 92% | 100% | 100% | 100% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | +4.9 | +4.6 | +4.3 | +5.5 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | +2.7 | +5.4 | +4.7 | +7.3 | – | – |
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
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 7 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 Lancashire 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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (3), Specific learning difficulty (3), language and communications needs (3), Other difficulty or disability (2), Physical disability (1).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 92 | 99 | 98 | 100 | 99 | 97 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 8% | 6% | 9% | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 1% | 1% | 0% | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 8% | 8% | 10% | 11% | 10% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.7% 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 | 3.3% | 3.5% | 3.9% | 4.0% | 1.2% | 2.0% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 2.5% | 2.7% | 3.1% | 3.4% | 1.1% | 1.7% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.4% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 3.5% | 5.6% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – |
| 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 council school accounts, year to March 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey Village Primary School | Council | 0.6 miles | 52 | Good 2024 | 9 | Compare |
| Brinscall St John's CofE and Methodist Primary School | Church of England/Methodist | 0.8 miles | 183 | Good 2024 | 80 | Compare |
| Withnell Fold Primary School | Council | 1.4 miles | 83 | Not inspected | 30 | Compare |
| St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School | Church of England | 1.9 miles | 56 | Report card 2026 | 35 | Compare |
| Feniscowles Primary School | Council | 2.3 miles | 417 | Good 2023 | 34 | Compare |
| Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 2.3 miles | 66 | Report card 2026 | 80 | Compare |
| St Chad's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 2.3 miles | 139 | Good 2022 | 76 | Compare |
| St Paul's Roman Catholic Primary School, Feniscowles, Blackburn | Roman Catholic | 2.5 miles | 216 | Not inspected | 51 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 90 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 90% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 68 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 25% | above | +0.15 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 14 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 11% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | well above | +0.25 | Ofsted grade, 6.9 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.13 | DfE progress measure; 14 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well below | -0.16 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well above | +0.14 | 2024/25; 87 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well above | +0.17 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 14 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, Withnell a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell scores 90 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 92% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 68 to 97, 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, Withnell's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell outstanding at its last full inspection on 8 October 2019. 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, Withnell's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 71% 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. 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, Withnell have?
92 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 88% full.
Is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell oversubscribed?
Probably not. 7 places were empty in 2024/25 (7% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell?
Pupils were in school 96.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 3% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell?
The average class had 23.5 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
- Bury Lane, Withnell, Chorley, PR6 8SD
- Telephone
- 01254 830400
- Website
- www.stjosephswithnell.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Katie Cunliffe
- Type of school
- Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 4-11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Liverpool
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- Ward
- Chorley North East
- Constituency
- Chorley
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 119680 · LAESTAB 8883796 · UKPRN 10080341
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, consistent financial reporting 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.