St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy
Coventry Road, Market Harborough, LE16 9BZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school in Market Harborough for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 324 schools in Leicestershire. It ranks 5th of 15 primary schools in Market Harborough. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2011.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 10 March 2011, report published 31 March 2011
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 13 March 2025
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy is a warm, welcoming and vibrant learning community. At the start of the school day, pupils arrive with smiles on their faces. Staff greet them at their classroom doors cheerfully. This positive and happy atmosphere continues throughout the day. The school has high expectations for all pupils. Pupils rise to the academic and personal challenges that are set for them. They are keen to learn and achieve well. They leave the school with the knowledge they need to progress to the next stage in their education. Pupils also develop essential life skills that stand them in good stead for life in modern Britain. Pupils are impressive advocates for the school. Right from their early days in school, they learn the importance of behaving well and keeping the school's three promises to, 'be kind, work hard and make the right choice'. When needed, they are supported effectively to reflect on their actions, if they break a promise, and find a way to restore the situation. Parents are highly positive about the work of the school. One parent summed up the school's many successes by saying, 'the school provides a high standard of education and teaches children to be good, well rounded, loving individuals.'
What the school should improve
- Staff do not correct consistently the errors that pupils make as they form letters in the early stages of learning to write. As a result, pupils continue to make mistakes. They do not develop accurate letter formation as quickly as they could. The school should ensure that staff support pupils to master accurate letter formation right from the start of their time in school.
- Sometimes, staff do not provide pupils with well-designed learning activities. When this happens, pupils struggle to acquire the intended learning. The school should ensure that staff provide pupils with tasks that support them to secure the knowledge they need consistently before moving on to new learning.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
30 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
190 pupils on roll, with places for 210
Schools near St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Harborough Church of England Academy | 0.2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 75% met the expected standard |
| Little Bowden School | 0.6 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | 68% met the expected standard |
| Ridgeway Primary Academy | 0.8 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | 59% met the expected standard |
| Farndon Fields Primary School | 0.8 miles | Ofsted: Good | 47% met the expected standard |
| Wellington Place Primary School | 1 mile | No Ofsted inspection | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- ST THOMAS AQUINAS CATHOLIC MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Bernadette Dabbs
- Phone
- 01858465359
- Address
- Coventry Road, Market Harborough, LE16 9BZ
- Local authority
- Leicestershire
- URN
- 138080
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.