About Us
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is part of a Multi-academy Trust (the Mother Teresa Catholic Academy Trust) in the Diocese of Portsmouth. The other schools in the Trust are St Anne’s Catholic Primary School in Basingstoke, St Edward Campion and St Mary's in Maidenhead, St Teresa's in Wokingham, St Margaret Clitherow's in Bracknell and St Francis' in Ascot.
St Joseph’s, which draws from a wide and varied catchment, was established in 1867. In 1965, the Infant Section was transferred to the present site as a separate school and in 1976, the Junior School moved alongside. In 1980, they were amalgamated to form the existing St Joseph’s Primary School using both buildings in Bridge Road. The two buildings are very different in design, demanding a range of teaching styles. In 1996 a further building, St Saviour’s, was added to offer greater flexibility in accommodation. In 2002 a further building was erected to house a large ICT Suite and Learning Centre, providing accommodation to still further enhance the School. 2009 saw the construction of our Arts Centre – St. Benedict’s.
The identification and meeting of special needs has a high priority within the School and has a considerable reputation in this regard. There is a successful Pre-School with a lengthy waiting list. In January 2004 accommodation was extended to include a Crèche and Day Nursery, which provides full-time day care for children from the age of 6 months to 4 years. There is an After School Club (“Tea Time Club”), which is held five evenings a week between 3.15pm and 5.45pm. The School runs a Breakfast Club for parents and children from 8.00am-8.30am five days a week. The School enjoys an excellent reputation and is unable to accept all applications for places.
DIOCESE
The School is in the Diocese of Portsmouth that covers Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Jersey, Guernsey and parts of Dorset, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Bishop Philip Egan was appointed Bishop of Portsmouth on 11 July 2012. The Bishop lays great importance on education in his diocese. The Diocesan Schools’ Commission, through the Director of Schools and other officers, serve the needs of schools within the Diocese. The Schools’ Commission Office is at St Edmund House, Edinburgh Road, Portsmouth.