St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, London
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 7 in London. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2026, ended in a report card: 7 strong standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in June 2013. It was 46% full in 2025.
- Ofsted report card
- 7 of 7 areas strong or better
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Waltham Forest (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 15 April 2026 inspection grades St Joseph's Catholic Infant School on 7 areas: 7 strong standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well."
Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders provide clear and strategic oversight of attendance."
Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum."
Early years - Strong standard. "Leaders design early years provision carefully."
Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders create a welcoming and inclusive culture where every child matters."
Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders are ambitious for the school and the community it serves."
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders place personal development and wellbeing at the heart of the school's work."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that consistently high outcomes, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are sustained".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Getting a place at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 27 families put St Joseph's Catholic Infant School as their first choice and 64 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 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 St Joseph's Catholic Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's Catholic Infant School are Willow Brook Primary School Academy (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding, 92% reading, 93% maths); Riverley Primary School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 91% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Junior School (0.4 miles, Good, 93% reading, 79% maths); and Sybourn Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 86% maths).
Willow Brook Primary School AcademyRiverley Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Junior SchoolSybourn Primary School
Who goes there
49.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (35%), Mixed (13%) and Asian (11%).
In 2026, 22 pupils (16.7%) received SEN support and 4 (3%) 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.
Staffing
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Lea Bridge Station, about 960 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Park Road Leyton, 140 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Joseph's Catholic Infant School are Lammas School (0.1 miles), George Mitchell School (0.4 miles), Kelmscott School (0.8 miles) and Norlington School and 6th Form (0.9 miles).
Lammas SchoolGeorge Mitchell SchoolKelmscott SchoolNorlington School and 6th Form
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 6 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- AchievementStrong standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
- Early yearsStrong standard
- InclusionStrong standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School
Pupils are greeted each morning with warmth and positivity. They describe the school as a kind, safe and welcoming place where they feel valued. Pupils consistently behave well and show consideration for one another. Staff deal promptly and effectively with any unkind behaviour. This helps pupils to feel secure. Pupils enjoy their learning. They approach lessons with positive attitudes and want to do well. Children in the early years settle quickly. They benefit from clear routines and purposeful activities that build confidence and independence. As pupils move through the school, they deepen their knowledge and skills across the curriculum. They are very well prepared for the transition to the junior school. Pupils value the relationships they have with staff. They describe teachers as caring and helpful and staff know them well. Pupils feel confident to speak to trusted adults at school if they have a worry or concern. These nurturing relationships help to reduce barriers to pupils' wellbeing and support regular attendance. Pupils feel that they belong. They enjoy learning and playing alongside their friends and take pride in the responsibilities they are given. Pupils contribute meaningfully to school life through roles such as house captains and school councillors. They explain how these roles help others and allow them to make a positive difference. Pupils speak enthusiastically about trips and visits to farms, places of worship, sports events and local businesses. These experiences deepen learning in subjects such as design technology and personal, social and health education. They also strengthen pupils' social skills and engagement with the wider world. Overall, pupils experience school as a place where they feel safe, supported and happy. They enjoy learning, are included fully in school life and grow in confidence, responsibility and kindness each day.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should ensure that consistently high outcomes, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are sustained.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 15 April 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Joseph's creates a warm, welcoming environment where every child feels safe and valued. Teachers skillfully support all learners, including those who speak English as an additional language, through clear modelling and purposeful teaching. The school places personal development and wellbeing at the heart of its work, helping children develop confidence, resilience and strong relationships with each other.
Key Strengths
- Excellent phonics outcomes at the end of Year 1, in line with or above national averages
- Strong focus on reading and language from Nursery with consistent teaching approaches across the school
- Attendance above national averages for all pupils, with careful monitoring and sensitivity to individual circumstances
- Calm, respectful behaviour and positive learning habits embedded from the earliest years
- Highly effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with barriers to learning carefully removed
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are fulfilled and concerns are actively identified and managed.
Extracurricular Activities
Wellbeing warriors club, friendship club, buddy bus stop
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School is a strong performing school where pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, achieve well across all areas of learning. The school has an ambitious, carefully sequenced curriculum and creates a welcoming, inclusive culture where every child matters.
At a Glance
17.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
26.3
Avg class size
26.3
Infant (KS1)
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Joseph's Catholic Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Joseph's Catholic Infant School.
- Samna After School Club380m away · Not yet graded
- ShowKids- Leyton Cricket Ground760m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's Catholic Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's Catholic Infant School is in Waltham Forest; for families living there:
Apply to Waltham Forest for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 33
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 25 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 Waltham Forest is 66 (the median across 87 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 Joseph's Catholic Infant School
Will you get a place at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joseph's Catholic Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joseph's Catholic Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's Catholic Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Waltham Forest, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Waltham Forest 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
46%
Available places
82 pupils
180 places
98 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 Waltham Forest council
Places available
3,614
Applications
3,040
Got 1st preference
90.6%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All primary applications across Waltham Forest council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
22
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
19.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
132
Total Pupils
63
Boys
69
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
18.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£61,443
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,365
Per pupil
£754k
Total funding
£30k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
20.3%
Persistent absence
64
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 Joseph's Catholic Infant School
Questions parents ask about St Joseph's Catholic Infant School
What is St Joseph's Catholic Infant School's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Catholic Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Catholic Infant School is oversubscribed, Waltham Forest allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School?
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 46% of its 180 places.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School?
Classes at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School average 26.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Joseph's Catholic Infant School?
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School has around 132 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School?
4.8% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Catholic Infant School in 2024/25. 20.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Catholic Infant School?
Apply through Waltham Forest's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's Catholic Infant 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 Joseph's Catholic Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St Joseph's Catholic Infant School: Samna After School Club (380m away, registered, not yet graded) and ShowKids- Leyton Cricket Ground (760m 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 Joseph's Catholic Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 25 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Waltham Forest is 66 (the median across 87 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Catholic Infant School?
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School is at Marsh Lane, London, E10 7BL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)