St Joseph’s Roman Catholic School was built in 1895 on the site which adjoined the Roman Catholic Church near the corner of main road and Station road, Harwich. The superstructure was in Derwent prefabricated timber construction with a detached boiler house, fuel store and sewage and pump house in brick construction with concrete roof. The School was constructed as a 3 class school for 70 pupils, an additional classroom and storage was added which converted the school catering for 120 pupils.

In June 1940 St Joseph’s School was closed and the children evacuated to Gloucestershire, when the school reopened, the Nuns from the Convent took over the running of the School.

The School was so badly damaged in floods of 1953 that it was unsuitable and the pupils were accommodated in the tower annex of The Harwich County High School until new premises were built at the Drive which were opened on the 14th September 1955.