Welcome to St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School
A village school in the heart of the town
A Catholic school open to children of all faiths or none

A child recently described St Joseph’s as a small school with a big heart. There are few better ways to describe this school, tucked away in a quiet corner by the ancient walls of Malmesbury.

As a Catholic primary school our foundation is solidly grounded in the Christian faith and the Catholic tradition but it doesn’t mean only Catholic children can join us. We welcome children from all faiths or from none, whose families are looking for an education built on a foundation of love and moral purpose.

Our latest RE inspection highlighted that St Joseph’s is a “supportive, Christ-centred community where everyone is welcomed and valued.” “Pupils feel safe and clearly enjoy being part of this vibrant school family, characterised by a lived and joyful sense of community.”

This inspection graded us Good overall but our Catholic Life and Mission, which reflects the heart of the school, was graded Outstanding. This recognises our pupils, staff and leaders and the role they play in building our community.

Section 48 Inspection Report (November 2025)

This report recognises the strength of our ethos which places children as our priority and the centre of  what we do.

We are committed to providing the best possible education through a vibrant, fun and interactive curriculum which challenges each child and inspires them to achieve their very best.

As a school rooted in the Christian faith, we believe in acting on our convictions to be stewards of God’s creation. Our school is one of only a few in Britain moving towards carbon neutral status with solar panels generating electricity for the school and an air source heat pump to keep us warm.

What else makes us special? We have an historic monument in the grounds and a wonderful piece of land stretching down behind the school to the river where the children can play and learn through our Forest School.

We welcome the opportunity to show current and prospective families around our school. If you would like to book an appointment to do this, please contact Anita Druce (School Business Manager) on 01666 822331.

You can also peak behind the school gates by watching the short film about our village school in the heart of town, and find out what makes it such a special place for our whole school community (see link in box on the right).

Nick Morrell – Headteacher

Most of my career in education has been in the independent sector, most recently as Deputy Head of Beaudesert Park School in Minchinhampton. Prior to that I was Deputy Head (Academic) at Westminster Cathedral Choir School for eight years. I oversaw a liberal arts curriculum which helps children discover “the best that has been known and said”. Instead of topics being presented as competing specialisms, everything is linked so children learn by making connections. A firm grasp of maths and English in the early years underpins a high degree of cultural literacy further up the school. I hope to bring the spirit of this to St Joseph’s by building on the school’s existing reputation for music and art.

When I first visited St Joseph’s I was struck by the whole-child ethos, purposeful teaching, and strong sense of family. The staff know every single child as individuals – their interests, what they enjoy about school and even what they prefer to eat. I’m passionate about taking a holistic approach which allows children to reach their academic potential whilst also nurturing and developing their creativity and social awareness.