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.

Academically, St Joseph’s performs solidly against local benchmarks. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 66% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is above the Lancashire local authority average of 60%. Reading was a particular strength, with 93% of pupils hitting the expected standard and 41% reaching the higher standard. Maths scores were also strong, with an average scaled score of 107 and 34% achieving the higher standard. The school ranks 26th out of 46 primary schools in Chorley on the combined expected standard metric, placing it in the top half of the borough. Nationally, it sits in the 41st percentile. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2025, the school was rated Good across all graded areas, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The early years provision was also judged Good.

The school offers a decent range of facilities for a primary of its size, including an art studio, gymnasium, outdoor playground, dining hall and chapel. Sports provision is broad, with swimming, tennis, athletics, football, cricket, rounders and cross country all on offer, plus clubs in art, drama and science. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health challenges. Parent View responses from 66 respondents were overwhelmingly positive: 95% would recommend the school, and strong majorities agreed that children are happy, safe, and doing well. That said, 17% of parents disagreed that SEND children receive the support they need, which is worth noting. This is a popular, faith-based primary that suits families who value strong core academic results and a wide extracurricular offer within a Catholic setting.

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