St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Exmouth

About St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Exmouth

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Exmouth is performing well above the Devon local authority average for primary schools when it comes to Key Stage 2 outcomes. The LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined sits at 57%, but at St Joseph's that figure jumps to 72%. That's a significant 15 percentage point advantage, and it places the school comfortably in the top half of primary schools across the region. In fact, its ranking score of 72 puts it 7th out of 44 schools in the East Devon area, and in the top 27% nationally. The school is also oversubscribed, with 36 applications for 26 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, and all 26 first-preference families were offered a spot. That level of demand suggests local parents recognise the strong academic offering here.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the school's strengths are consistent across the core subjects. In reading, 83% of pupils reached the expected standard and a third achieved the higher standard. Maths was similarly strong, with 83% at expected and 17% at the higher level. Writing saw 72% at expected and 11% at the higher mark. The average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 105 in maths, both solidly above the national benchmark of 100. Ofsted visited in June 2024 and confirmed the school remains Good, upgrading from a Requires Improvement rating in 2018. Leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness were all judged Good. The school has clearly made steady progress under headteacher Jonathan Willcox.

St Joseph's is a Roman Catholic primary for children aged 2 to 11, with a nursery on site. It's a relatively small school, with 189 pupils against a capacity of 236, and 12.7% of children eligible for free school meals. The facilities are notably strong for a primary: there's a sensory room, music rooms, an ICT suite, art studios, a sports hall, and a forest school area. Clubs include drama, choir, coding, science club and book club, while sports on offer are cricket, football, cross country, swimming and athletics. The school also provides for a wide range of SEND needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and hearing impairment. For families seeking a faith-based primary with strong academic results and a broad range of facilities, St Joseph's is a compelling option in Exmouth.

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