Schools by area › Lancashire › St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell
Primary · Mixed · Ages 4–11 · Voluntary aided
Bury Lane, Withnell, Chorley PR6 8SD · stjosephswithnell.co.uk · 01254 830400
Overview
- Ofsted
- Outstanding
- 2019 framework · inspected Oct 2019
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 71%
- reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Lancashire 60%, England 62%
- Demand for places
- 1.0
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 92
- 88% of 105 places
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- Nursery class
- No
- Free school meals
- 7.6%
- First language not English
- 1.1%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2026, 17 families put the school first and 17 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Reception | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 17 | 17 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 14 | 12 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 15 | 15 | 1 | 93% |
Results
In 2024/25, 71% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 14% the higher standard. Across Lancashire it was 60%, and across England 62%.
Expected standard reading, writing and maths
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing and maths | |||
| ▲71% | 62% | ||
| ▲14% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ●107 | 106 | ||
| ●107 | 105 | ||
| ●105 | 105 | ||
Ofsted
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell was judged Outstanding at its last graded inspection, on 8 October 2019, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework. An ungraded inspection in Dec 2024 found: Standards maintained.
- Outcome
- Standards maintained
- Inspected
- 17 Dec 2024
- Ungraded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Previously: Outstanding, graded inspection, Oct 2019
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Oct 2019Outstanding
Quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years Outstanding Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Sept 2018Ungraded inspectionImproving
Safeguarding Effective Dec 2013Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good Nov 2011Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years Good
What parents said
95% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (43 replies, to 1 September 2025).
- Recommend
- 95%
- Replies
- 43
- 43% · 1 Sept 2025
based on the 65% who raised concerns
based on the 16% who had a child bullied