St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Uttoxeter Review 2026: Outstanding Catholic primary with a high-performing KS2 profile

Love and Serve is more than a motto here, it is a practical organising principle that shows up in pupil leadership, charity action, and day to day expectations. This is a state-funded Catholic primary for ages 3 to 11 on Springfield Road in Uttoxeter, with a pre-school nursery and wraparound care. The latest Ofsted inspection (25 June 2024) rated the school Outstanding across all areas, including early years.

Academic outcomes are a defining strength. In the latest Key Stage 2 results set (2024), 90.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 54% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%. The school is also highly competitive for places, with 46 applications for 18 offers in the most recent admissions cycle recorded here.

There is a distinct sense of order and purpose at the start and end of the day. Gates open at 8.40am with leaders visible on the playground, and late arrivals after 8.50am are directed to sign in via the office, which signals clear routines from the outset.

The Catholic character is explicit and structured rather than incidental. The mission statement emphasises valuing and respecting one another as children of God, and growing to love and serve through faith, knowledge and understanding. This faith framing is reinforced through class saint work, parish links, and Catholic Social Teaching language that focuses on human dignity and responsibility to others.

Leadership stability is another marker. The principal is Mrs Louise Sassi, and she has been in post since at least 2017. The school sits within a Catholic multi-academy context, and governance is described through the trust structure in official reporting, which matters for parents who want to understand how strategic decisions and accountability are managed.

Nursery provision is integrated into the wider school, not treated as a standalone add-on. The pre-school nursery covers ages 3 to 4 and describes an Early Years Foundation Stage space arranged as two interlinking rooms with a shared outdoor area, designed to support a smooth step into Reception. It is led by a qualified teacher, with sessions aligned to 15 hours and options up to 30 hours for eligible families. For nursery fee details, families are directed to the school’s own information.

A final feature that shapes daily feel is how seriously play is taken. The school is implementing the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) programme, described as a whole-school approach to improving play opportunities and building children’s social confidence, cooperation, and resilience through structured improvements to the play environment.

The headline story is Key Stage 2 performance. In 2024, 90.33% reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, substantially above the England average of 62%. Science is also high, with 89% meeting the expected standard compared with an England average of 82%.

The higher standard outcomes are especially striking. 54% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with 8% across England. For parents, that gap usually signals not only strong attainment at the top end, but teaching that consistently stretches beyond the basics, while keeping nearly the whole cohort secure at expected level.

The scaled score profile reinforces the same picture. Reading and mathematics are both 110, and grammar, punctuation and spelling is 111. As individual figures, these do not need heavy interpretation, but they align with a cohort performing strongly across the core components of primary assessment.

Rankings should be treated as a comparative tool rather than a promise of future outcomes. Ranked 352nd in England and 1st in Uttoxeter for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits well above England average (top 10%); the underlying percentile here is around the top 3% on these measures. Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page to view outcomes side by side using the Comparison Tool, which helps put strong results into local context.

Curriculum intent is framed as breadth plus depth. The latest inspection evidence highlights a broad curriculum and staff expertise, with routine checking for understanding and structured revisiting of prior learning so that knowledge is retained over time.

Early reading is treated as a major strand rather than a box to tick. The inspection account describes reading foundations built from nursery through rhymes and stories, then a well-delivered phonics programme in Reception and beyond, with targeted support for pupils who need to catch up, including pupils with English as an additional language. For families, this usually translates into a school that intervenes quickly and expects all pupils to become confident readers, not just those who arrive already fluent.

There is also evidence of subject breadth being taken seriously in the junior years. Official inspection activity included focused deep dives in early reading, mathematics, art and design, and physical education, which is a useful indicator of where leaders can articulate curriculum sequencing and standards.

For nursery and Reception families, the most relevant practical point is continuity. The nursery describes provision across linked indoor rooms and a shared outdoor area that supports smooth routines into Reception. When that physical continuity is paired with early literacy routines, it tends to reduce the “big jump” some children feel at the start of statutory school.

This is a primary school through age 11, and the next stage is shaped by Uttoxeter’s local structure. Staffordshire’s own place-planning documents describe Uttoxeter as operating a three-tier system (First, Middle, High), while also noting that the town has one Catholic primary alongside its first, middle, and high schools. That combination matters, because it can make transition planning less straightforward than in areas where every child transfers at the same age.

In practice, families should expect a move into a local middle school after Year 6, then onward into high school later. The key implication for parents is to engage early with transfer preferences and transport practicalities, particularly if you are balancing faith preference with the realities of local school organisation. Staffordshire’s coordinated admissions approach sits behind these moves, so it is worth reading the local authority guidance alongside the school’s own transition communications.

The school’s curriculum design and expectations suggest pupils leave Year 6 academically well prepared, including in reading, writing and mathematics at higher levels for a significant proportion of the cohort. For many children, the bigger adjustment is not academic capability but the shift to a larger setting and a different pastoral structure, especially in a three-tier environment where friendship groups can reorganise at different stages.

Admissions are competitive. In the most recent admissions cycle recorded here, 46 applications competed for 18 offers, which equates to 2.56 applications per place. That level of demand means families should treat admission as uncertain unless they sit very securely within priority criteria.

This is a Catholic school and the oversubscription rules reflect that. Staffordshire’s published arrangements for 2026 to 2027 state that a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) must be completed and returned by the same deadline as the local authority application. The published admission number for Reception entry for September 2026 is 30. Where the school is oversubscribed, priority is given to baptised Catholic children under the oversubscription criteria, with additional priority for siblings and certain staff criteria, then distance.

Timing is clear for Reception 2026 entry. The school publishes key dates aligned to the Staffordshire process: applications open 01 November 2025, the deadline is 15 January 2026, and offers are issued on 16 April 2026.

Nursery admissions are handled directly by the school. The nursery page sets out ages 3 to 4, with session structures aligned to 15 hours and up to 30 hours for eligible families. Importantly, attendance at the school’s nursery does not automatically guarantee a Reception place; families still need to apply through the normal coordinated route.

Parents who want to sense how realistic admission is for them should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their specific location against local patterns and to sanity-check travel and timing assumptions, particularly in an area with a three-tier structure.

Pastoral support is described through both faith language and practical structures. The school links wellbeing to human dignity within Catholic Social Teaching and identifies a designated Mental Health Lead, alongside signposting to local support. For parents, that signals that emotional wellbeing is discussed explicitly rather than treated as a purely behavioural issue.

Behaviour expectations are consistently high, and routines are embedded from early years upward. The inspection account describes pupils as polite and supportive, with behaviour and attitudes judged Outstanding. That kind of consistency is often particularly helpful for children who respond well to clear boundaries and predictable classroom norms.

Safeguarding information is anchored in the formal judgement that arrangements are effective, and parents should still expect to see practical safeguarding culture reflected in communication systems, attendance follow-up, and staff visibility at key times.

The strongest extracurricular story is how pupil leadership and service are built into the experience. Mini Vinnies is an active example of this approach, linked to practical charity work and structured involvement from older pupils, and the school also describes a Kindness Club role in building a welcoming environment. The implication for families is that responsibility is not reserved for a small group; it is part of the school’s wider identity.

Clubs listed for the Autumn term include Creative Composers (led by Mrs Draycott), JJ Sports scooter club, and a running club that operates before school on Tuesdays and Fridays. These are concrete options rather than generic labels, and they also illustrate variety: music creativity, sport and coordination, and routine fitness.

Play is also treated as a developmental strand rather than simply break time. The OPAL programme work is framed as improving cooperation, communication, and confidence through better play opportunities and new equipment. For pupils who find social interaction hard, structured improvement to play spaces can be as consequential as any after-school club, because it affects the part of the day where friendships are made and maintained.

Faith life contributes its own set of wider experiences. Class Saints activity includes feast day Mass, assemblies linked to saints and seasons, and projects tied to local support such as foodbank donations. Families who value faith-based service and rhythm will see this as part of the school’s everyday fabric, not a special event.

The school day begins when gates open at 8.40am, lessons start at 8.50am, and the school day finishes at 3.30pm. Wraparound care is established: before-school club runs 7.30am to 8.45am, and after-school club runs 3.30pm to 6pm.

Drop-off and pick-up logistics are addressed directly, with families encouraged to use the free car park on Fairfield Road rather than relying on Springfield Road, except for mid-day movements. This matters in a residential area where small traffic differences can change the feel of the start and end of day for families.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual associated costs, including uniform, trips, and optional enrichment such as clubs or specialist activities; these vary year to year and are best confirmed via the school’s published information.

• Catholic admissions priorities. The school’s published admission arrangements prioritise Catholic children when oversubscribed and require a Supplementary Information Form to be returned by the same deadline as the local authority application. Families who are not practising Catholics can still apply, but should read the criteria carefully and be realistic about likely priority.

• High demand for places. With 46 applications for 18 offers in the most recent admissions cycle recorded here, competition is material. Even strong applicants can miss out if they fall outside priority criteria.

• Transition planning in a three-tier area. Uttoxeter operates a three-tier system locally, and this school is the town’s Catholic primary. Families should plan early for the move beyond Year 6 and understand how middle school preferences and logistics work locally.

• High expectations are the norm. The culture described in official reporting is one of consistently high standards for behaviour, learning routines, and effort. This suits many children very well, but families should consider whether their child responds best to structured expectations or needs a looser approach.

St Joseph’s is a high-performing Catholic primary with an Outstanding inspection profile and an unusually strong Key Stage 2 attainment pattern for a small town setting. The combination of clear routines, faith-shaped pastoral language, and a curriculum approach that pushes depth as well as breadth creates a purposeful environment.

Best suited to families who want a Catholic education with strong academic outcomes and who are prepared to engage early with admissions requirements. The limiting factor is entry rather than quality; competition is real, and the local three-tier structure makes forward planning beyond Year 6 important.