St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

About St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School stands out sharply against the Islington average for Key Stage 2 performance. While the local authority average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths sits at 68%, St Joseph's achieves 85% — a significant 17 percentage points higher. This places the school 7th out of 39 primary schools in Islington, comfortably inside the top 10 and in the top 18% of its local authority. Nationally, it ranks in the top 6% of all primary schools, which is a strong indicator of consistent academic strength. The school is also one of only eight primaries in Islington rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and its most recent inspection in 2023 awarded top marks across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. That clean sweep of Grade 1 judgements is rare and underlines the school's effectiveness across the board.

Digging into the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the picture is one of broad, solid attainment. In maths, 96% of pupils reached the expected standard and 39% achieved the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 109. Reading saw 87% at expected and 48% at the higher level, also averaging 109. Writing was slightly lower at 91% expected and 26% higher, but still well above national benchmarks. The combined expected standard of 85% is the headline metric that drives the school's strong ranking. It is worth noting that the school does not publish Progress 8 scores, so we cannot directly compare pupil progress against the LA average, but the attainment figures alone suggest pupils are leaving Year 6 well prepared for secondary school. The school has been consistently rated Outstanding since at least 2009, when its previous inspection also awarded top grades for overall effectiveness, early years provision and leadership.

St Joseph's is a large Catholic primary with 510 pupils, exactly at capacity, and it is heavily oversubscribed: for 60 places in 2025/26, it received 137 applications, a ratio of 2.28 applicants per place. Of those, 59 put it as first preference and 55 received offers, so competition is real. The school offers nursery provision for children from age 2, and its facilities are notably strong for a state primary: a sensory room, forest school, chapel, sports hall, gymnasium, ICT suite and outdoor playground. Sports include netball, athletics, football, dance, tennis and swimming, while clubs range from gardening and coding to chess and choir. The SEND provision is comprehensive, covering dyslexia, severe learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. This is a school that suits families who value high academic standards within a faith-based setting, and who are prepared for a competitive admissions process in central London.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents