St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Tendring · CO12 3SU

General information Primary School · 5-11 years Who goes here 114 pupils, 10.5% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 14% on SEN support Behaviour 4.6% absence rate Staff 13.8% turnover Financials £6,170 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

General Information

Address: The Drive, Dovercourt, CO12 3SU – View on map
Phone: 01255503493
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mr Leigh Bevan
Age range: 5-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 15 families put it first for 15 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 9 · 2024 12 · 2025 11 · 2026 10
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Nursery provision: No

Who goes here

114 pupils out of 119 places At or near capacity

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 12
% eligible for free school meals: 10.5%
Pupil mix: 5 in 10 (more mixed than the Tendring average)
English as an additional language: 15% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 13.8% a year (Tendring 15.7%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 100% moved to another school, 0% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. This is a small staff, so one or two teachers leaving moves the figure a lot.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Essex: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 28 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 17 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 7 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Essex (the council area this school is in), not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 4.6%
Persistently absent pupils: 11.9%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 14.0%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 2.6%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 6 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 4 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 3 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 1 pupil
Severe learning difficulty: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Autistic spectrum disorder: 2 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2023 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 53% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 6% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: in line with the Tendring average (55%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: As expected (3-year average 63% against an expected 61%)
3-year average (expected standard): 63%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 88% · Writing 71% · Maths 65% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 76%
Average test scores: reading 105, maths 103
Based on: 17 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolTendring averageEngland↘ Falling Down 20 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was in line with the Tendring average (55%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 21st of 34 junior and primary schools in the area

=18St Osyth Church of England Primary School55%
=21Holland Park Primary School53%
=21St Joseph's Catholic Primary School53%
#23The Mayflower Primary School48%
=24Elmstead Primary School47%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Wix and Wrabness Primary School83%
=2Cann Hall Primary School76%
=2Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School76%
=2Sir Martin Frobisher Academy76%
#5Highfields Primary School74%
#6St Clare's Catholic Primary School73%
#7Bradfield Primary School70%
=8Brightlingsea Primary School and Nursery69%
=8Engaines Primary School and Nursery69%
#10All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt67%
=11Ardleigh St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy64%
=11Chase Lane Primary School and Nursery64%
#13Kirby Primary Academy63%
#14Tendring Primary School62%
#15Great Bentley Primary School61%
=16All Saints Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Great Oakley58%
=16Alresford Primary School58%
=18Holland Haven Primary School55%
=18Lift Hamford55%
=18St Osyth Church of England Primary School55%
=21Holland Park Primary School53%
=21St Joseph's Catholic Primary School53%
#23The Mayflower Primary School48%
=24Elmstead Primary School47%
=24Frinton-on-Sea Primary School47%
=24Great Clacton Church of England Junior School47%
=24St George's Church of England Primary School, Great Bromley47%
=24White Hall Academy and Nursery47%
#29Ravens Academy41%
#30Walton on the Naze Primary School38%
#31Alton Park Junior School35%
#32Harwich Community Primary School and Nursery31%
#33Weeley St Andrew's CofE Primary School29%
#34Rolph Church of England Primary School and Nursery27%

View full Ofsted inspection report

23rd of 33 primary schools in Tendring for Ofsted rating

#21St Clare's Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#22St George's Church of England Primary School, Great BromleyGood
#23St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#24St Osyth Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#25Tendring Primary SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Great Bentley Primary SchoolOutstanding
#2Highfields Primary SchoolOutstanding
#3All Saints Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Great OakleyGood
#4All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, DovercourtGood
#5Alresford Primary SchoolGood
#6Bradfield Primary SchoolGood
#7Brightlingsea Primary School and NurseryGood
#8Cann Hall Primary SchoolGood
#9Chase Lane Primary School and NurseryGood
#10Elmstead Primary SchoolGood
#11Engaines Primary School and NurseryGood
#12Frinton-on-Sea Primary SchoolGood
#13Harwich Community Primary School and NurseryGood
#14Holland Haven Primary SchoolGood
#15Holland Park Primary SchoolGood
#16Kirby Primary AcademyGood
#17Lift HamfordGood
#18Ravens AcademyGood
#19Rolph Church of England Primary School and NurseryGood
#20Spring Meadow Primary School & NurseryGood
#21St Clare's Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#22St George's Church of England Primary School, Great BromleyGood
#23St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#24St Osyth Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#25Tendring Primary SchoolGood
#26The Mayflower Primary SchoolGood
#27Walton on the Naze Primary SchoolGood
#28Weeley St Andrew's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#29White Hall Academy and NurseryGood
#30Wix and Wrabness Primary SchoolGood
#31Ardleigh St Mary's Church of England Primary AcademyRequires improvement
#32St Michael's CofE Primary Academy, RamseyRequires improvement
#33Stourview Church of England Primary AcademyRequires improvement

Financials

Spending per pupil: £6,170 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

29th of 34 primary schools in Tendring for spending per pupil

#27Holland Park Primary School£6,311
#28Lift Hamford£6,297
#29St Joseph's Catholic Primary School£6,170
#30Holland Haven Primary School£6,124
#31Elmstead Primary School£6,081

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Stourview Church of England Primary Academy£14,500
#2Sir Martin Frobisher Academy£10,876
#3Ardleigh St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy£9,875
#4St George's Church of England Primary School, Great Bromley£9,830
#5Harwich Community Primary School and Nursery£9,129
#6Wix and Wrabness Primary School£9,037
#7Bradfield Primary School£8,737
#8Cann Hall Primary School£7,846
#9All Saints Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Great Oakley£7,819
#10White Hall Academy and Nursery£7,792
#11Walton on the Naze Primary School£7,691
#12Ravens Academy£7,529
#13St Michael's CofE Primary Academy, Ramsey£7,378
#14The Mayflower Primary School£7,359
#15St Clare's Catholic Primary School£7,252
#16Engaines Primary School and Nursery£7,250
#17Frinton-on-Sea Primary School£7,187
#18Great Bentley Primary School£7,127
#19Tendring Primary School£7,057
#20All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt£7,036
#21Highfields Primary School£6,950
#22St Osyth Church of England Primary School£6,706
#23Weeley St Andrew's CofE Primary School£6,636
#24Chase Lane Primary School and Nursery£6,508
#25Kirby Primary Academy£6,502
#26Brightlingsea Primary School and Nursery£6,403
#27Holland Park Primary School£6,311
#28Lift Hamford£6,297
#29St Joseph's Catholic Primary School£6,170
#30Holland Haven Primary School£6,124
#31Elmstead Primary School£6,081
#32Rolph Church of England Primary School and Nursery£5,904
#33Alresford Primary School£5,890
#34Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£5,482

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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