St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Washington

About St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Washington

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Washington is a state primary for mixed pupils aged 3 to 11, and it is currently running very close to full capacity. With 232 pupils on roll against a school capacity of 236, there is almost no slack in the system. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 10.4%, which is notably lower than the national average for primary schools, suggesting a relatively affluent intake for the area. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 47 total applications for just 25 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.88. All 25 first-preference applicants were offered a place, but the overall number of applications means that not every family who wanted a spot got one. The school is a Roman Catholic voluntary-aided school, which will shape its admissions criteria and the community it serves.

Academically, St Joseph's performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 73% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Sunderland average of 67%. This places the school 21st out of 73 primary schools in the local authority, putting it in the top 29% nationally. At the higher standard, 8% of pupils achieved the top marks across all three subjects. Individual subject scores were solid: average reading and maths scores were 106 and 105 respectively, and 85% of pupils met the expected standard in both reading and writing. The school has held a Good rating from Ofsted across both its most recent inspections, including the graded inspection in November 2023, with all five categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — each rated Good.

The school offers a broad set of facilities including a sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, a library, an ICT suite, a chapel, and a Forest School area. Sports on offer include football, cricket, netball and athletics, while clubs range from book club and gardening to chess and coding. The school has nursery provision for younger children. For families with children who have additional needs, St Joseph's provides support for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school is oversubscribed, so families applying should be aware of the admissions criteria, particularly the religious character. For those seeking an outstanding-rated Catholic alternative nearby, St John Boste Catholic Primary School is 1.5 km away and holds that top grade.

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