St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Broadstairs

About St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Broadstairs

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Broadstairs is a small primary with 152 pupils on roll, and its headline Key Stage 2 results paint a mixed picture compared with the Kent local authority average. The school's proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined stands at 61%, which is just two percentage points below the LA average of 63%. That's a fairly narrow gap, and the school's maths average score of 103 and reading average score of 105 are both solid. Where the school really stands out, however, is in the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in maths, at 26%, which is notably above the typical LA figure. In reading, 19% achieved the higher standard, and in writing it was 16%. The school ranks 15th out of 25 primary schools in the Thanet district, placing it in the bottom half locally, but nationally it sits around the 55th percentile, so it's broadly in line with the national picture.

Academically, the school has made significant strides since its previous Ofsted inspection. In June 2022, the school was rated Requires Improvement overall, with a grade 3 for quality of education, early years provision, and leadership and management. In its most recent graded inspection in January 2025, every area assessed — quality of education, early years provision, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management — was rated Good. The school was not judged on overall effectiveness in that inspection, but the trajectory is clearly upward. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 92% of respondents would recommend the school, and 95% agree or strongly agree that their child is happy there. The school's Progress 8 data is not available, but the KS2 scores suggest a school that is delivering consistent, if not exceptional, outcomes for its pupils.

The school is oversubscribed, with 38 applications for just 10 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, and only 6 first-preference offers made. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 3.8, so families need to be prepared for competition. Facilities include a library, forest school, gymnasium, art studios, sensory room and chapel, and the school offers a range of sports including rounders, tennis, swimming, netball and athletics, plus clubs such as drama, book club and eco club. The school has a strong SEND offer, with provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. With 40.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged community, and the parent view data suggests that families feel well supported. This is a school that has turned itself around and now offers a stable, Good-rated option for Catholic families in Broadstairs, though places are tight.

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