Voluntary aided school · Lancashire

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley

4–11Ages
219Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Roman CatholicReligious character
119671URN

Cedar Road, Chorley, PR6 0JF · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Jun 2023 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.6per place

close to Lancashire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Lancashire

79 applications for 30 places · 156th of 366 in Lancashire

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

74%met the expected standard

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 20 June 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development	Outstanding
Leadership and management		Good
Early years provision		Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.6applications per place, Reception

close to Lancashire median (2.6) 0.4 above England median (2.2)

79 applications · 30 places offered · 30 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 2.6; Lancashire median median 2.6
2025 2.9; Lancashire median median 2.7
2024 2.8; Lancashire median median 2.6
2023 2.8; Lancashire median median 2.6
2022 3.7; Lancashire median median 2.5
2021 2.8; Lancashire median median 2.6
2020 3.4; Lancashire median median 2.7
2019 2.4; Lancashire median median 2.6
2018 2.2; Lancashire median median 2.7
2017 2.2; Lancashire median median 2.5
2016 2.7; Lancashire median median 2.6
2015 2.6; Lancashire median median 2.5
2014 2.4; Lancashire median median 2.4

This school
Lancashire median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	30	79	2.6	30	1.00
Sep 2025	27	77	2.9	26	0.96
Sep 2024	30	85	2.8	35	1.17
Sep 2023	30	85	2.8	31	1.03
Sep 2022	16	59	3.7	16	1.00
Sep 2021	27	76	2.8	26	0.96
Sep 2020	30	102	3.4	32	1.07
Sep 2019	28	67	2.4	24	0.86
Sep 2018	31	68	2.2	30	0.97
Sep 2017	30	66	2.2	20	0.67
Sep 2016	30	80	2.7	28	0.93
Sep 2015	29	74	2.6	23	0.79
Sep 2014	29	70	2.4	30	1.03

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 94% · Writing 77% · Maths 87% → all three 74% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard74%87th of 444 in Lancashire

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard94%

Lancashire 77% England 78%

Higher standard39%

Lancashire 30% England 33%

Average scaled score 107 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard77%

Lancashire 74% England 75%

Greater depth13%

Lancashire 11% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard87%

Lancashire 76% England 77%

Higher standard26%

Lancashire 22% England 24%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Lancashire median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	74%	6%	107	106
2023/24	69%	13%	109	107
2022/23	80%	10%	110	107

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, ChorleyThis school
This school

Good2023

2.6applications per place 74%met the SATs standard
St Peter's CofE Primary School Chorley
0.3 km · Lancashire

Good2022

2.4applications per place 62%met the SATs standard
Chorley, the Parish of St Laurence Church of England Primary School
0.8 km · Lancashire

Standards maintained2025

2.2applications per place 71%met the SATs standard
Highfield Community Primary School
0.8 km · Lancashire

Good2019

2.8applications per place 64%met the SATs standard
Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School
1.1 km · Lancashire

Outstanding2023

3.2applications per place 58%met the SATs standard
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Chorley
1.5 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2023

2.5applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
Buckshaw Primary School
1.6 km · Lancashire

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.0applications per place 43%met the SATs standard
Duke Street Primary School
1.8 km · Lancashire

Good2022

2.4applications per place 38%met the SATs standard
St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley
2.1 km · Lancashire

2026

3.7applications per place 59%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Voluntary aided school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 119671 · 888/3785
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Capacity: 210 pupils · 219 on roll
Free school meals: 25.6% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Cedar Road, Chorley, PR6 0JF
Local authority: Lancashire · Chorley

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources