Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough, London
Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in London. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 23rd-highest of the 959 schools in London with published results, and 203rd of 14,452 across England. It was 74% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Southwark (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough in detail
Results
In 2025, 100% of Year 6 pupils at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough reached the expected standard in reading and 96% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 80% in Southwark and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 79% in reading and 93% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough
For September 2026 entry, 12 families put Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough as their first choice and 54 named it as one of their preferences, for 17 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough are The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overie (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding, 93% reading, 97% maths); Charles Dickens Primary School (0.2 miles, 93% reading, 97% maths); Snowsfields Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 74% reading, 70% maths); and Friars Primary Foundation School (0.5 miles, Good, 86% reading, 77% maths).
Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary OverieCharles Dickens Primary SchoolSnowsfields Primary SchoolFriars Primary Foundation School
Who goes there
51.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 64% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (47%), Mixed (20%) and other ethnic groups (15%).
In 2026, 24 pupils (13.7%) received SEN support and 13 (7.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Borough Station, about 150 metres away (roughly a 2-minute walk).
20 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Union Street, 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2459 crimes within a mile of the school, most often theft from the person, other theft and violence and sexual offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Southwark (1438), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough issued 4 suspensions, 2.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough are Haberdashers' Borough Academy (0.2 miles), Ark Globe Academy (0.5 miles), St Saviour's and St Olave's Church of England School (0.6 miles) and Notre Dame Catholic Girls' School (0.7 miles).
Haberdashers' Borough AcademyArk Globe AcademySt Saviour's and St Olave's Church of England SchoolNotre Dame Catholic Girls' School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from December 2013, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's October 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Saint Joseph's creates a safe, inclusive environment where children thrive academically and socially. The school excels at teaching reading through structured phonics from Reception onwards, and provides tailored support so every child - including those with additional needs - can access the full curriculum. Pupils benefit from high expectations, excellent behaviour standards, and enriching experiences like visits to the British Museum and London Central Mosque.
Key Strengths
- Excellent behaviour and positive attitudes to learning throughout the school
- Strong phonics and reading programme with daily teaching for all pupils
- High expectations and tailored support for pupils with SEND
- Broad, ambitious curriculum with numerous educational visits to enhance learning
- Inclusive school culture celebrating diversity with strong pupil safety and low bullying
Areas for Improvement
- Need to identify and outline essential subject knowledge pupils must know and remember in all subjects
- Some pupils do not securely recall prior learning in certain subjects, limiting their ability to link new knowledge to what they have learned before
- Curriculum planning in some subjects still needs further development to ensure consistent knowledge building year on year
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear procedures and an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
School choir, girls' football, after-school clubs, educational visits including British Museum and London Central Mosque, week-long residential trips
Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough is an inclusive good school with positive pupil behaviour, strong reading provision, and high expectations for all learners including those with special educational needs. The school continues to maintain its good rating with a broad, engaging curriculum and excellent pupil conduct.
At a Glance
51.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 79% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 96% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 88% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
20.1
Avg class size
19.5
Infant (KS1)
27.0
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough.
- The Play Professionals at Cathedral SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- Camp Glide at Charles Dickens300m away · Not yet graded
- Magna Extended Schools at Snowfields Primary School620m away · Not yet graded
- The Play Professionals at Ark Globe Academy780m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Southwark's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough is in Southwark; for families living there:
- Southwark's school travel policy: travel assistance policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 302
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 58
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 302 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 58 serious and 244 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
63 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Southwark is 154.5 (the median across 122 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough
Will you get a place at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough.
- Southwark publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Southwark got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
74%
Available places
156 pupils
210 places
54 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Southwark council
Places available
3,137
Applications
2,248
Got 1st preference
84.3%
Got preferred school
98.0%
All primary applications across Southwark council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
24
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
21.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
175
Total Pupils
79
Boys
96
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
25.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,748
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,895
Per pupil
£1394k
Total funding
£111k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
12.9%
Persistent absence
155
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough
What are SATs results like at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough?
Of the pupils at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 100% reached the expected standard in reading and 96% did so in maths.
What is Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough's Ofsted rating?
Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough?
No fixed boundary. When Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough is oversubscribed, Southwark allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough?
Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough was not full in 2025: it ran at 74% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough?
Classes at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough average 20.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough?
Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough has around 175 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough?
4.6% of sessions were missed at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough in 2024/25. 12.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough?
Apply through Southwark's coordinated admissions process, naming Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: The Play Professionals at Cathedral School (registered, not yet graded). There are 3 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 302 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 58 serious and 244 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 63 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Southwark is 154.5 (the median across 122 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough?
Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough is at Little Dorrit Court, London, SE1 1NJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)