Joseph Hood Primary School

About Joseph Hood Primary School

Joseph Hood Primary School is clearly a popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 168 applications for just 56 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3 to 1. Of those applications, 27 were first-preference choices, and exactly 27 first-preference offers were made, meaning every family who put it first secured a spot. This suggests that while competition is real, those who prioritise the school are likely to get in. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in 2022, confirmed it remains Good, a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2013 when it was rated Requires Improvement. Leadership and management were also judged Good. With a capacity of 472 and currently 352 pupils on roll, there is some headroom, though the high application numbers show demand is strong.

Academically, Joseph Hood sits in the bottom half of primary schools in Merton, ranking 33rd out of 42 in the local authority. Its key stage 2 results for 2023/24 show that 57% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, below the Merton average of 68%. The school’s ranking score of 57 places it in the bottom 50 nationally. Looking at individual subjects, 86% of pupils reached the expected standard in maths, with an average scaled score of 106, which is solid. Reading and writing expected rates were 73% and 68% respectively. Higher-level attainment is more limited: just 5% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, though 30% did so in maths alone. The school does not publish progress scores for reading, writing or maths, so it is hard to say how much value it adds relative to pupils’ starting points.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a sensory room, ICT suite, library, playing fields and a chapel. Sports provision covers swimming, athletics, cricket, dance and gymnastics, and there are clubs for book club, chess, coding and science. For families with children who have additional needs, Joseph Hood provides support for a wide spectrum of conditions, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability and social, emotional and mental health needs. The school also has nursery provision for children from age three. While it is oversubscribed, the fact that all first-preference applicants received offers is reassuring. This is a Good-rated, community-focused primary that suits families who value a strong SEND offer and a wide activities programme, even if its academic results are below the local average.

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