St Joseph's RC Primary School

About St Joseph's RC Primary School

St Joseph's RC Primary School in Dudley was rated Good in its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2013, and an ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed the school remains Good. The most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2, which sits at 57% for the 2023/24 academic year. That figure is just below the Dudley local authority average of 59%, placing the school 39th out of 69 primary schools in the borough. While the combined figure is middling, individual subject results tell a more positive story: 83% of pupils met the expected standard in writing, and 77% did so in reading. Maths was the weaker area, with 70% reaching the expected level. At the higher standard, 20% of pupils achieved above the expected level in reading, 13% in maths, and just 7% in writing.

The school's Progress 8 scores are not available, but the average scaled scores offer a clearer picture: 104 in reading and 103 in maths, both slightly above the national average of 100. Nationally, St Joseph's ranks in the 64th percentile among all primary schools for its combined expected standard score, and in the 57th percentile within the West Midlands region. The Ofsted breakdown from the 2013 inspection rated leadership and management, overall effectiveness, and early years provision all as Good. The school has held a Good rating across both its inspections, with no evidence of a decline or improvement in that overall judgement. There are three Outstanding primary schools in Dudley, the nearest being Cradley CofE Primary School, 4.7 km away.

St Joseph's is a Roman Catholic primary for children aged 5 to 11, with a current roll of 200 pupils against a capacity of 210. It is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 75 applications for 29 places, with 25 first-preference offers made. The school serves a relatively affluent intake, with just 7% of pupils eligible for free school meals. Facilities include a Forest School, sensory room, chapel, library, ICT suite, and playing fields. Sports on offer include football, cricket, netball, swimming and athletics, while clubs range from gardening and coding to drama and choir. The school provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and hearing impairment. This is a solid, well-regarded local Catholic primary that suits families seeking a faith-based education with a broad range of enrichment activities, though those prioritising top-tier academic outcomes may want to look at higher-performing schools in the borough.

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