St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 2 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Garburn Place, Durham, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 7DEOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a primary school in Newton Aycliffe for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 271 schools in County Durham. It ranks 4th of 9 primary schools in Newton Aycliffe. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in September 2022.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 13 September 2022, report published 9 November 2022

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 September 2022

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a happy and caring community. Pupils enjoy playing with each other in the well-resourced grounds. Pupils use the space outside in creative ways, building dens and making up games in the orchard. Leaders are passionate that all pupils have the best possible start in education. Staff know all pupils well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and adapt the teaching to meet individual needs. There are high expectations of behaviour. Pupils respond well to the routines and directions set by the teachers. The school is calm and has a learning 'buzz' as pupils do their work. Pupils say that if bullying were to happen their teachers would act swiftly to stop it. Pupils feel safe in school. Pupils spoken with are appreciative of the chapel in school and the time spent there. One commented, 'The chapel is really good. When we want to do collective worship, we have a chapel we can all gather in. It feels like we are more with God and praying with Him than when we are in the hall.' Pupils view this as a unique space where they can be still and reflective.

What the school should improve

  • A new curriculum has been recently introduced into school. There are gaps in pupils learning from the previous curriculum, which means the pupils are not fully prepared for their next stage in education. Leaders should ensure that the ambitious school curriculum is fully embedded and any gaps in learning are identified and addressed.
  • In geography, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork. This limits their understanding of geographical processes. Leaders should ensure that fieldwork is built into the geography curriculum and that teachers are suitably trained to teach fieldwork.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

19 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths84%

84%, 22 percentage points above the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths0%

0%, 8 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score106

106, the same as the England average.

Maths, average scaled score105

105, the same as the England average.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score107

107, 2 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

150 pupils on roll, with places for 175

Eligible for free school meals44.7%

44.7%, 18.2 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language18.7%

18.7%, 2.9 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support14.7%

14.7%, 0.1 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan2%

2%, 4 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Stephenson Way Academy and Nursery School0.1 milesOfsted: Good29% met the expected standard
Woodham Burn Community Primary School and Nursery0.2 milesOfsted: Requires improvement58% met the expected standard
St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School0.3 milesOfsted: Good25% met the expected standard
Byerley Park Primary School0.5 milesReport card: Expected standard to strong standard73% met the expected standard
Sugar Hill Primary School0.7 milesOfsted judgements: Good to outstanding52% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy sponsor led
Sector
Academy
Trust
BISHOP HOGARTH CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST
Age range
2 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Headteacher Kirsty Evans
Address
Garburn Place, Durham, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 7DE
Local authority
County Durham
URN
143515

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.