St Joan of Arc RC Primary School, London
St Joan of Arc RC Primary School 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 July 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 518th-highest of the 959 schools in London with published results, and 4,824th of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Islington (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Joan of Arc RC Primary School in detail
St Joan of Arc RC Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "St Joan of Arc is a dynamic, two form entry school situated in the heart of Highbury. We are a Roman Catholic Primary School which welcomes families of all faiths, or none, into our school community."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Choosing your child’s school is such an important decision. Your child has already started on a learning journey and we see our role as being partners with you in steering and supporting your child in the next stage of their development."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, hockey and gymnastics.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 4 November 2026, an open day on Tuesday 24 November 2026 and an open day on Wednesday 2 December 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Islington
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at St Joan of Arc RC Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 80% and 78% in Islington and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (83% in reading, 81% in maths).
Getting a place at St Joan of Arc RC Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 41 families put St Joan of Arc RC Primary School as their first choice and 181 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Joan of Arc RC Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joan of Arc RC Primary School are St John's Highbury Vale CofE Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 73% reading, 81% maths); Gillespie Primary School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 89% reading, 96% maths); Ambler Primary School and Children's Centre (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 93% reading, 87% maths); and Drayton Park Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 85% reading, 88% maths).
St Joan of Arc RC Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St John's Highbury Vale CofE Primary SchoolGillespie Primary SchoolAmbler Primary School and Children's CentreDrayton Park Primary School
Who goes there
47.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (26%), Black (22%) and Mixed (22%).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Arsenal, about 630 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Joan of Arc School, 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Joan of Arc RC Primary School issued 7 suspensions, 1.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Joan of Arc RC Primary School are Highbury Fields School (0.3 miles), City of London Academy Highbury Grove (0.5 miles), Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form (0.5 miles) and St Mary Magdalene Academy (0.8 miles).
Highbury Fields SchoolCity of London Academy Highbury GroveStoke Newington School and Sixth FormSt Mary Magdalene Academy
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); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from July 2014, 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 January 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a caring school where children feel valued and safe. Staff work hard to help every child succeed, especially those with additional needs, and the school creates a community where respect and kindness are at the heart of everything. Parents greatly appreciate the personalised care their children receive and the school's focus on developing confident, thoughtful learners.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading - staff are well-trained in phonics and pupils develop a genuine passion for reading and reading for pleasure
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND - teachers are highly skilled at meeting individual needs and adapting teaching accordingly
- Positive behaviour and strong relationships - pupils are consistently polite, respectful and well-behaved, with clear systems to reward demonstration of school values
- Well-organised curriculum with good links between subjects to help pupils practise skills in different contexts, including garden classroom activities
- Character development - pupils learn to be mindful of others' beliefs, build friendships and understand online safety
Areas for Improvement
- Sometimes teaching activities do not closely follow the knowledge set out in the school's agreed curriculum, which can lead to gaps in pupils' knowledge
- School should strengthen oversight processes to ensure the curriculum is being delivered as intended
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong safeguarding culture that prioritises pupils' interests.
Extracurricular Activities
Mini Vinnies club, garden classroom, workshops for parents
St Joan of Arc RC Primary School continues to be a good school where pupils feel proud, safe and cared for. The school is built on strong core values of love, service, respect and courage that guide the whole community.
At a Glance
29.3%
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 remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 79% to 75% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.8
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
28.1
KS2
14
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Joan of Arc RC Primary School
Building Fund Letter 18.09.26
18 Sep 2026
Newsletter No 2 - 18.09.26
18 Sep 2026
Newsletter No 1 - 04.09.26
4 Sep 2026
From St Joan of Arc RC Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Joan of Arc RC Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Joan of Arc RC Primary School.
- Perform N5290m away · Not yet graded
- Right Way Sports Limited at Ambler Primary School670m away · Not yet graded
- The Strings Club - Islington Holiday Camp (Drayton Park Primary)820m away · Not yet graded
- Premier@BettyLayward870m away · Not yet graded
- Stoke Newington Stagecoach870m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Joan of Arc RC Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Islington's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joan of Arc RC Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joan of Arc RC Primary School is in Islington; for families living there:
Apply to Islington for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 60
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 60 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 49 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 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 Islington is 143 (the median across 70 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 St Joan of Arc RC Primary School
Will you get a place at St Joan of Arc RC Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joan of Arc RC Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joan of Arc RC Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joan of Arc RC Primary School.
- Islington publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Joan of Arc RC Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joan of Arc RC Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Islington 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
94%
Near capacity
395 pupils
420 places
25 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 Islington council
Places available
1,760
Applications
1,683
Got 1st preference
79.4%
Got preferred school
95.8%
All primary applications across Islington council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
76
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
21.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
427
Total Pupils
212
Boys
215
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
20.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£70,310
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,649
Per pupil
£2980k
Total funding
£192k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
8.7%
Persistent absence
345
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
St Joan of Arc RC Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Joan of Arc RC Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Joan of Arc RC Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Joan of Arc RC Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is St Joan of Arc RC Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Joan of Arc RC Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Joan of Arc RC Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Joan of Arc RC Primary School is oversubscribed, Islington allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Joan of Arc RC Primary School?
St Joan of Arc RC Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at St Joan of Arc RC Primary School?
Classes at St Joan of Arc RC Primary School average 27.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Joan of Arc RC Primary School?
St Joan of Arc RC Primary School has around 427 pupils on roll. 29% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joan of Arc RC Primary School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at St Joan of Arc RC Primary School in 2024/25. 8.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joan of Arc RC Primary School?
Apply through Islington's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joan of Arc RC Primary School 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 St Joan of Arc RC Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 5 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St Joan of Arc RC Primary School: Perform N5 (290m away, registered, not yet graded), Right Way Sports Limited at Ambler Primary School (670m away, registered, not yet graded) and The Strings Club - Islington Holiday Camp (Drayton Park Primary) (820m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Joan of Arc RC Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 60 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 49 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 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 Islington is 143 (the median across 70 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joan of Arc RC Primary School?
St Joan of Arc RC Primary School is at Northolme Road, Highbury Park, London, N5 2UX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)