St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Anderton
About St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Anderton
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Anderton is a state primary for children aged 5 to 11, and it’s a school that local families clearly want to get into. With 178 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, it’s not at full capacity, but the admissions data tells a different story: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 61 applications for just 28 places, and all 28 first-preference offers were taken up. That’s an oversubscription ratio of 2.18, meaning more than two families applied for every place. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 10.1%, which is below the national average and suggests a relatively affluent intake. As a Roman Catholic school, its religious character will naturally appeal to practising Catholic families in the Chorley area, but the demand suggests its reputation draws a wider pool too.
Key Details
The full report on this school
What 66 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
25 Feb 2025From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.
Source: Ofsted, 27 Mar 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
5Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
10Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:55 – 15:25
Source: st-josephs-anderton.lancs.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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