St Joseph's College 11+ Guide
A detailed look at St Joseph's College including past 11+ papers and practice 11+ papers.
About St Joseph's College
St Joseph's College is a selective secondary school in Stoke-on-Trent. For children to get into St Joseph's College they need to pass the school's 11+ entrance test. Hence, St Joseph's College is a traditional grammar school, one of only 163 remaining in England.
Nestled in the heart of Trent Vale, Stoke on Trent, St. Joseph's College stands as a beacon of educational excellence. This co-educational grammar school, housed in a magnificent Grade II listed building, has been nurturing young minds and shaping futures since its establishment by the Christian Brothers.
At St. Joseph's College, students embark on a comprehensive educational journey from Year 7 onwards. The curriculum encompasses a wide array of subjects, including art, design technology, languages, humanities, mathematics, music, physical education, religious education, and science. This diverse range of disciplines ensures that every student has the opportunity to explore their passions and develop a well-rounded skill set.
The school takes immense pride in the outstanding academic achievements of its students. In recent years, an impressive 97% of A level students successfully passed their courses, with over half achieving grades between A* and B. This is a testament to the dedication and expertise of the teaching staff, who go above and beyond to support and challenge each individual learner.
St. Joseph's College has consistently been recognized for its exceptional standards, as evidenced by its 'Outstanding' rating from Ofsted. The school's ethos is firmly rooted in fostering a supportive and inspiring environment, where students are encouraged to reach their full potential. Through close collaboration with parents, parishes, and the wider community, St. Joseph's College creates a nurturing atmosphere that promotes personal growth, academic success, and a strong sense of belonging.
School Information
Below you will find further information about St Joseph's College together with their admissions contact details.
| Address |
St Joseph's College, London Road, Trent Vale, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 5NT |
|---|---|
| School Website | https://www.stjosephstrentvale.com/ |
| Telephone | 01782848008 |
| Email Address | sjcollege@stjosephsmail.com |
| Gender | Mixed (both girls and boys) |
| Total Year 7 Places | Unknown |
| Total Pupils (Girls/Boys) | 1156 (617 Girls / 539 Boys) |
| Headteacher | Ms Melissa Roberts |
St Joseph's College is a mixed (i.e. both girls and boys) school. It is also an academy, meaning the school is run independently by a trust or sponsor and is directly funded by the central government (not the local authority).
In total 1,156 pupils attend St Joseph's College and it's led by the Headteacher, Ms Melissa Roberts.
St Joseph's College Location
Below you will find a map showing the school's location:
GCSE & A-Level Subjects
Below you will find a complete list of GCSE and A-Level subjects offered to pupils at St Joseph's College for the 2022-23 academic year.
| GCSE Subjects Offered |
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|---|---|
| A-Level Subjects Offered |
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St Joseph's College 11+ Information
In order to get into St Joseph's College, children need to pass the St Joseph's College 11+. This 11+ test is written internally for exclusive use by the school (rather than by an external company like GL Assessment, CSSE or CEM).
St Joseph's College 11+ Marking Process
The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as St Joseph's College is that only children with particularly high marks are admitted. Hence why it is important that children perform well in their 11+ papers.
Different schools (and different 11+ tests) have different marking processes. Some tests are marked in person, some remotely, while others utilise computer-based optical recognition technologies for quickly marking multiple-choice answer sheets.
Many 11+ tests are age-standardised to ensure younger children are not disadvantaged (i.e. their marks may be moderated depending on the month in which they were born). While creative writing papers can be used as tie-breakers, multiple-choice tests in Maths, Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning normally make up the bulk of a child's marks. The specific details and weightings can vary from year to year.
It's worth remembering that once children's 11+ tests are being marked, the admissions process is completely outside of the parents' control. Hence, parents should not worry themselves about whether their child has got a place!
St Joseph's College 11+ Pass Mark
The pass mark for the St Joseph's College 11+ changes every year and isn't generally made public knowledge. This is due to the academic strength of the children taking the test varying and how challenging the test ends up being (as well as plenty of other smaller variables).
Hence, as a vague rule-of-thumb, it's recommended that children aim for roughly 75-80% in their practice tests. Whilst this won't guarantee them a place at St Joseph's College, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.
Ofsted Information
St Joseph's College was last inspected by Ofsted on 04/02/2014 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 06/03/2014, declaring that the school was 'Outstanding'. This information is summarised in the table below along with a link to the full report.
Last Ofsted Report Data
| Date Inspected | Inspection Duration (Days) | Reporting Date | Rating | Full Report | 04/02/2014 | 1 | 06/03/2014 | Outstanding | Full Report |
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GCSE & A-Level Performance
Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for St Joseph's College per subject. Note that this may include children taking GCSEs early (e.g. taking a language GCSE in Year 10) or indeed a child in Year 12 retaking a GCSE.
GCSE Results Information (2022-23)
| Subject | Total Pupils | Grades Achieved | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
| Art & Design (Fine Art) | 20 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Art & Design (Textiles) | 35 | - | - | - | - | 5 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| Biology | 70 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 19 | 15 |
| Chemistry | 70 | - | - | - | - | 5 | 3 | 17 | 21 | 11 | 13 |
| Computer Studies/Computing | 30 | - | - | - | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| Design & Technology | 12 | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | - | 3 | - |
| English Language | 151 | - | - | - | 2 | 14 | 34 | 45 | 29 | 19 | 8 |
| English Literature | 151 | - | - | - | 4 | 17 | 23 | 44 | 27 | 22 | 14 |
| D&T Food Technology | 47 | - | - | - | 1 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 4 | 3 |
| French | 61 | - | - | 1 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 5 |
| Geography | 69 | - | - | - | 3 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 20 | 13 | 16 |
| History | 90 | - | - | - | 2 | 10 | 9 | 16 | 30 | 16 | 7 |
| Mathematics | 151 | - | - | - | 5 | 20 | 32 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 12 |
| Music | 8 | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Physics | 70 | - | - | - | - | 6 | 9 | 12 | 24 | 11 | 8 |
| Religious Studies | 151 | - | - | 3 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 11 |
| Spanish | 85 | 1 | - | 4 | 21 | 15 | 17 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 1 |
| Drama & Theatre Studies | 14 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Physical Education/Sports Studies | 44 | - | - | - | 2 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 5 |
| Science: Double Award | 81 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
A-Level Results Information (2022-23)
| Subject | Total Pupils | Grades Achieved | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U | E | D | C | B | A | A* | |||||
| Art and Design (Fine Art) | 10 | - | - | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |||
| Art and Design (Textiles) | 9 | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||
| Biology | 83 | - | 5 | 11 | 21 | 25 | 11 | 8 | |||
| Business Studies:Single | 45 | - | 1 | 7 | 16 | 17 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Chemistry | 80 | - | 6 | 12 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 2 | |||
| Design and Technology (Product Design) | 8 | - | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | |||
| Economics | 40 | - | 2 | 6 | 16 | 9 | 7 | - | |||
| English Language and Literature | 7 | - | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||
| English Literature | 14 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | - | |||
| Geography | 27 | - | 1 | - | 8 | 10 | 5 | 3 | |||
| Government and Politics | 15 | - | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | - | |||
| History | 19 | - | - | 3 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Mathematics | 64 | - | 7 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 5 | |||
| Mathematics (Further) | 9 | - | - | - | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Physical Education / Sports Studies | 6 | - | 1 | - | 3 | - | 2 | - | |||
| Physics | 21 | - | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Psychology | 67 | - | 9 | 12 | 12 | 20 | 7 | 5 | |||
| Religious Studies | 14 | - | - | - | 5 | 8 | 1 | - | |||
| Sociology | 43 | - | 1 | 8 | 17 | 12 | 2 | 2 | |||
Past 11+ Paper Downloads
Unfortunately, St Joseph's College has not made any of their 11+ past papers publicly available. However, you can use our 11+ practice papers to help your child prepare.
None available.
FAQ
Is St Joseph's College hard to get into?
Yes, St Joseph's College is hard to get into! Children need to pass their challenging 11+ entrance test (with a high pass mark) and there's tough competition with many other children trying to get a place for Year 7.
Is St Joseph's College a private school?
No, St Joseph's College is one of the few remaining academically selective, state-funded grammar schools left in England.
Is St Joseph's College free?
Yes, St Joseph's College is free, there are no school fees. Thus, sending your child to St Joseph's College won't cost you any money.
How do I get my child into St Joseph's College?
You need to apply to take the school's 11+ test. Contact St Joseph's College for how up to date information on how to apply (it may be automatic or it may require some forms to be filled in). More information on their 11+ entrance test can be found here.
