St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley
Mitchell Street, Birtley, Chester le Street, DH3 1LU
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 5 to 7
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Trust
- BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Kate Swaddle
- Diocese
- Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
- Sponsor
- Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust
- Constituency
- Washington and Gateshead South
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 90
- Pupils on roll
- 68
- URN
- 148809
- Local authority
- Gateshead
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01914102324
About this school
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley is a Roman Catholic primary academy in Chester le Street. It teaches children aged 5 to 7 and has 68 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 22 October 2024, where inspectors found that standards have been maintained. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Trends over time
How St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.7% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 77 |
| 2023/24 | 64 |
| 2024/25 | 66 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley compares
Its absence rate was lower than 91% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 3.7% | 27.3% | 68 | — |
| St Joseph's Catholic Junior School, Birtley | 76% | 3.6% | 30.9% | 105 | 0.4 miles |
| Ravensworth Terrace Primary School | 60% | 4.6% | 22.8% | 362 | 0.4 miles |
| Birtley East Community Primary School | 59% | 5.9% | 42% | 189 | 0.5 miles |
| Portobello Primary School | 71% | 4.3% | 18.1% | 182 | 0.9 miles |
| Barley Mow Primary School | 57% | 7.4% | 45.1% | 155 | 1.1 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 27.27%
- English as an additional language
- 27.3%
- Overall absence
- 3.67%
- Persistent absence
- 4.76%
Location
Nearby schools
-
St Joseph's Catholic Junior School, Birtley0.4 miles
Primary · Chester le Street
-
Ravensworth Terrace Primary School0.4 miles
Primary · Chester le Street
-
Birtley East Community Primary School0.5 miles
Primary · Birtley
-
Portobello Primary School0.9 miles
Primary · Chester le Street
-
Barley Mow Primary School1.1 miles
Primary · Chester le Street
Other schools in Chester le Street
- Barley Mow Primary School Primary
- Bullion Lane Primary School Primary
- Cestria Primary School Primary
- Chester-Le-Street CofE (Controlled) Primary School Primary
- Lumley Infant and Nursery School Primary
- Lumley Junior School Primary
- Nettlesworth Primary School Primary
- Newker Primary School Primary
- Ouston Primary School Primary
- Pelton Community Primary School Primary
- Portobello Primary School Primary
- Ravensworth Terrace Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley teach?
- St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley teaches children aged 5 to 7. It is a primary school in Chester le Street.
- Who is the headteacher of St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley?
- The headteacher of St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley is Mrs Kate Swaddle, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley?
- St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley has 68 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 7.
- Is St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley full?
- St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley has capacity for 90 pupils and 68 on roll (76%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley a faith school?
- Yes. St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley is designated Roman Catholic, in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.
- Does St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley as having no nursery classes.
- Who runs St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley?
- St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley is part of BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley's absence rate?
- St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley's overall absence rate is 3.7% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.