Our Lady & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

About Our Lady & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Our Lady & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a small Roman Catholic primary in County Durham, and its headline metrics paint a mixed picture against the local authority average. The school's KS2 combined reading, writing and maths expected standard score sits at 64%, which is just two percentage points above the County Durham average of 62%. That places it 84th out of 170 primary schools in the local authority, right around the middle of the pack. However, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in those three subjects is just 9%, which is notably lower than you might expect given the expected standard figure. The school is also significantly undersubscribed, with only 37 pupils against a capacity of 96, and a relatively high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 29.7%. This is a school that serves a specific community, and its results need to be read in that context.

Academically, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023 rated it as Requires Improvement overall, a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2015. The inspection found that the quality of education and leadership and management both require improvement, though personal development and behaviour and attitudes were both rated Good. In terms of KS2 outcomes, 73% of pupils met the expected standard in reading and writing, while 64% did so in maths. The average scaled scores were 102 in reading and 103 in maths, both slightly above the national average of 100. But the progress measures are not available in the data, so it's hard to say how much value the school adds. The school's ranking in the North East region places it in the 50th percentile, meaning it sits exactly in the middle of regional primaries. For a school with such a small cohort, individual pupil results can swing the figures dramatically.

The school offers a decent range of facilities including a chapel, music rooms, art studios, a sports hall and an ICT suite, plus an outdoor playground. Sports on offer include netball, rounders, dance, tennis, athletics and swimming, and there are clubs for film, drama and eco activities. The school has identified SEND provisions for social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties or disabilities. With only 37 pupils on roll, class sizes are likely very small, which could suit children who benefit from more individual attention. The nearest outstanding-rated primary is Framwellgate Moor Primary School, 4.2 km away, which might be an alternative for families prioritising a top Ofsted grade. This school would suit families who value a faith-based setting, small class sizes, and are comfortable with a school that is still working through its improvement journey.

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