St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

About St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Harrow posts a combined reading, writing and maths expected standard score of 71%, which sits just one percentage point below the local authority average of 72% for primary schools. That places it 20th out of 41 primary schools in the borough, right in the middle of the pack. But dig a little deeper and the picture becomes more interesting. The school's maths expected standard rate of 88% is notably strong, and its average maths scaled score of 108 is comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. Reading and writing expected rates are also solid at 81% and 85% respectively. Where St Joseph's really stands out is in the higher standard: 47% of pupils reached the higher standard in maths, and 41% did so in reading. That's a strong showing for a school whose overall headline figure is only marginally below the LA average.

The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024 rated it Good overall, but with two Outstanding judgements that tell you where its real strengths lie. Personal development and behaviour and attitudes both earned the top grade, which suggests children are well-supported to grow as individuals and conduct themselves well. The quality of education and leadership and management were both judged Good, while early years provision was also Good. This is a step down from the school's previous inspection in 2012, when it was rated Outstanding across the board, but the current report still paints a positive picture. The Progress 8 measure is not available for this primary school, so the best academic benchmark is the KS2 data. Nationally, St Joseph's ranks in the top 27% of all primary schools for the combined expected standard, which is a respectable position.

The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 130 applications for 58 places, with 54 first-preference offers made. That's a ratio of 2.24 applicants per place, so families need to be keen. Facilities include a gymnasium, playing fields, music rooms, a library, art studios, a forest school, a dining hall and a chapel. Sports on offer are gymnastics, swimming, athletics and cross country, and clubs include drama, art, film and gardening. The school has a broad SEND offer, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, physical disability and social and emotional mental health support. With 11.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is reasonably mixed. This is a Catholic primary that delivers strong maths outcomes, excellent behaviour and personal development, and suits families who want a faith-based education within a resource-rich setting.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents