Academy sponsor led · Lancashire

St Josephs Catholic Primary School, Lancaster

4–11Ages
144Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Roman CatholicReligious character
148770URN

Aldrens Lane, Lancaster, LA1 2DU · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Jun 2024 Previous framework

Requires improvement

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

4.8per place

2.2 above Lancashire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Lancashire

43 applications for 9 places

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

33%met the expected standard

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Requires improvement · 5 June 2024Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Good	Requires improvement
Quality of education		Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes		Requires improvement
Personal development	Good
Leadership and management		Requires improvement
Early years provision		Requires improvement

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

4.8applications per place, Reception

2.2 above Lancashire median (2.6) 2.6 above England median (2.2)

43 applications · 9 places offered · 9 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 4.8; Lancashire median median 2.6
2025 2.5; Lancashire median median 2.7
2024 3.2; Lancashire median median 2.6
2023 2.4; Lancashire median median 2.6
2022 1.8; Lancashire median median 2.5
2021 3.1; Lancashire median median 2.6; as the previous school
2020 2.2; Lancashire median median 2.7; as the previous school
2019 2.4; Lancashire median median 2.6; as the previous school
2018 2.3; Lancashire median median 2.7; as the previous school
2017 2.7; Lancashire median median 2.5; as the previous school
2016 2.3; Lancashire median median 2.6; as the previous school
2015 1.9; Lancashire median median 2.5; as the previous school
2014 2.3; Lancashire median median 2.4; as the previous school

This school
Lancashire median

Dashed bars: as St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster (URN 119620), the previous school.

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	9	43	4.8	9	1.00
Sep 2025	21	53	2.5	20	0.95
Sep 2024	18	57	3.2	18	1.00
Sep 2023	19	45	2.4	18	0.95
Sep 2022	27	48	1.8	24	0.89
Sep 2021 *	18	56	3.1	18	1.00
Sep 2020 *	26	57	2.2	26	1.00
Sep 2019 *	28	66	2.4	24	0.86
Sep 2018 *	27	63	2.3	25	0.93
Sep 2017 *	26	69	2.7	18	0.69
Sep 2016 *	30	69	2.3	28	0.93
Sep 2015 *	30	57	1.9	28	0.93
Sep 2014 *	30	68	2.3	40	1.33

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 50% · Writing 54% · Maths 63% → all three 33% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard33%413th of 444 in Lancashire

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard50%

Lancashire 77% England 78%

Higher standard13%

Lancashire 30% England 33%

Average scaled score 101 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard54%

Lancashire 74% England 75%

Greater depth0%

Lancashire 11% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard63%

Lancashire 76% England 77%

Higher standard8%

Lancashire 22% England 24%

Average scaled score 102 (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	33%	0%	101	102
2023/24	13%	0%	95	96
2022/23	40%	0%	100	103

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 Josephs Catholic Primary School, LancasterThis school
This school

Requires improvement2024

4.8applications per place 33%met the SATs standard
Skerton St Luke's Church of England Primary School
0.5 km · Lancashire

2026

2.6applications per place 40%met the SATs standard
Lancaster Ryelands Primary School
0.9 km · Lancashire

2026

1.7applications per place 63%met the SATs standard
Castle View Primary Academy
1.1 km · Lancashire

Serious weaknesses Graded · no overall grade2025

2.6applications per place 31%met the SATs standard
Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School
1.5 km · Lancashire

2026

2.3applications per place 65%met the SATs standard
The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster
1.6 km · Lancashire

Standards maintained2025

2.6applications per place 80%met the SATs standard
Lancaster Christ Church Church of England Primary School
1.6 km · Lancashire

2026

2.5applications per place 64%met the SATs standard
Willow Lane Community Primary School
1.6 km · Lancashire

Graded · no overall grade2025

1.8applications per place 46%met the SATs standard
Morecambe and Heysham Grosvenor Park Primary School
2.0 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2023

4.0applications per place 70%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: Academy sponsor led
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 148770 · 888/2013
Trust: Mater Christi Multi-Academy Trust
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Capacity: 210 pupils · 144 on roll
Free school meals: 56.3% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 September 2021
Replaced: St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster (URN 119620)
Address: Aldrens Lane, Lancaster, LA1 2DU
Local authority: Lancashire · Lancaster

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