St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Wx)

About St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Wx)

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Broxbourne was rated Good overall by Ofsted in its most recent graded inspection, a step down from the Outstanding it held previously. The ungraded inspection that followed in 2024 noted that the school had improved significantly since that last full inspection, and inspectors awarded Good marks for leadership, management, early years provision and overall effectiveness. On the key academic metric for primary schools, 60% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 results. That is slightly below the local authority average of 64% for Hertfordshire, and places the school 15th out of 26 primary schools in the Broxbourne area. Nationally, it sits in the bottom half of all state primaries on this measure, though the picture is more nuanced when you look at individual subjects.

Reading is a relative strength: 83% of pupils reached the expected standard and the average scaled score was 107, comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. Writing also saw 83% hitting the expected level, while maths was a little lower at 73%. At the higher standard, 10% of pupils achieved the top marks across all three subjects, with reading again leading the way at 27% reaching the higher threshold. The school does not publish progress scores for reading, writing or maths, so it is hard to say how much value it adds relative to pupils' starting points. Ofsted's breakdown suggests behaviour and personal development were not formally assessed in the most recent inspection, but the Parent View survey tells a positive story: 96% of the 55 respondents would recommend the school, and 84% strongly agreed that their child is happy there.

The school is oversubscribed for Reception entry in 2025/26, with 63 applications for 27 places and 26 first-preference offers made. It has a Roman Catholic character and a nursery provision for three-year-olds. Facilities include a library, playing fields, a gymnasium, sports hall, sensory room, forest school area, ICT suite and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, cricket, swimming, athletics, cross country and rounders, while clubs cover art, chess and film. The school supports children with a range of special educational needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 7.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is less disadvantaged than many local primaries. This is a school that suits families who value a strong Catholic ethos, a broad range of facilities and a happy, well-behaved environment, though those prioritising top-tier academic outcomes may want to look at higher-performing local options.

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