SchoolsGPT
Home › Areas › Lancashire › St Joseph's Catholic primary School, a Voluntary Academy

St Joseph's Catholic primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Barnoldswick, BB18 5EN · Lancashire · primary school

Ofsted: Good · 2023 Mixed Primary Roman Catholic
OfstedGood
Pupils115
FSM11.3%
KS2 expected60%
AI summary of the Ofsted report Inspected 2024-03-06 · Tap to collapse

Generated by AI from the official inspection report — not written by Ofsted or SchoolsGPT staff. Always read the full Ofsted PDF before relying on this summary.

Overview: This is the first Ofsted inspection report for St Joseph's Catholic primary School, a Voluntary Academy, which opened as a new legal entity following the conversion of the predecessor school. The inspection found that the school is making good progress in some areas, but there are also some challenges that need to be addressed.

Strengths:

  • The school has a clear vision for its development and improvement.
  • Leaders and governors have high aspirations for the school and its pupils.
  • The school has a strong sense of community and a supportive environment for pupils.

Areas to improve:

  • The school needs to improve its teaching and learning, particularly in mathematics.
  • The school should improve its use of assessment information to inform teaching and learning.
  • The school needs to improve its monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of its actions.

Safeguarding: The inspection found that the school's safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders and governors taking a proactive approach to ensuring the safety and well-being of pupils.

Open official report ↗

Catchment / designated area

Lancashire's own term is 'Geographical Priority Area' (GPA) — a criterion for community/VC schools; academies/VA/foundation schools set their own arrangements.

Source: Lancashire admissions policy

Ofsted judgement breakdown (2023-02-22)

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Effectiveness of leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding is effective?
Yes
Early years provision (where applicable)
Good

What the entrance test covers

There is no shared Lancashire 11+ — each school sets its own exam, and formats/providers differ and have changed recently, so always check the school's own admissions page for the current year. As of the 2026 test round: - Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School — GL Assessment-style multiple-choice papers (maths, English, verbal reasoning). - Clitheroe Royal Grammar School — moved to FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise) papers: Paper 1 English & maths multiple-choice, Paper 2 English & maths short written answers. - Lancaster Girls' Grammar School — FSCE papers. - Lancaster Royal Grammar School — GL Assessment-style papers (maths, English, verbal reasoning). Because providers differ, practice material for one Lancashire school may not match another's format — and a child applying to schools in both Clitheroe/Lancaster and the Bacup area may face two different exam styles.

Similar schools nearby

Same area, prioritising the same phase — useful for shortlisting alternatives.

Gisburn Road Community Primary School 0.2 mi · Primary · Good Barnoldswick, BB18 5LS Coates Lane Primary School 0.5 mi · Primary · Not judged BARNOLDSWICK, BB18 6EZ Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary School 0.6 mi · Primary · Good Barnoldswick, BB18 5TB Salterforth Primary School 1.3 mi · Primary · Good Barnoldswick, BB18 5UD Thornton in Craven Community Primary School 2.1 mi · Primary · Good Thornton-in-Craven, BD23 3SX Earby Springfield Primary School 2.2 mi · Primary · Requires improvement Barnoldswick, BB18 6SJ

Data sourced from GIAS, Ofsted and official Lancashire admissions publications. Figures can change year to year — always confirm with the school before applying.

Have a specific question about admissions, scores or dates?

Ask SchoolsGPT