St Joseph's RC Infant School, London
St Joseph's RC Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in London. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. It was 66% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Croydon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Joseph's RC Infant School in detail
Getting a place at St Joseph's RC Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put St Joseph's RC Infant School as their first choice and 73 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 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 RC Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's RC Infant School are St Joseph's RC Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding, 81% reading, 71% maths); St Luke's Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 79% reading, 75% maths); Crown Lane Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 77% reading, 74% maths); and Rockmount Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 93% reading, 89% maths).
St Joseph's RC Junior SchoolSt Luke's Church of England Primary SchoolCrown Lane Primary SchoolRockmount Primary School
Who goes there
37% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (49%), Mixed (25%) and White British (7%).
In 2026, 27 pupils (17.5%) received SEN support and 3 (1.9%) 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 RC Infant School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Gipsy Hill Station, about 1090 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Norwood School, 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Joseph's RC Infant School issued 1 suspension, 0.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Joseph's RC Infant School are The Norwood School (under 0.1 miles), St Joseph's College (0.4 miles), Hillcrest (0.4 miles) and Silburn Reid (0.5 miles).
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2019, 7 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 June 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Joseph's provides an exciting, enriching education where children are encouraged to love learning and develop strong values like kindness and friendship. Staff know their pupils well and work hard to support every child's needs, whether through tailored reading books or special strategies to help with emotions and behaviour. The school offers a full range of interesting activities including trips, sports, and science investigations.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with regular checks on pupil progress and individually matched books
- Excellent behaviour and discipline, with pupils understanding routines and school values
- Well-planned early years curriculum with children learning independently through practical activities
- Effective support for pupils with SEND needs, including adapted teaching strategies
- Teachers have secure subject knowledge and question pupils to challenge their thinking
Areas for Improvement
- Some foundation subjects have recently changed but these changes are not yet fully embedded, meaning pupils don't build securely on prior learning
- Need to ensure all subject curriculum aims are fully implemented so pupils develop deep knowledge over time
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff providing consistent support to help pupils feel safe and happy in school.
Extracurricular Activities
Opera house visits, archery, cricket, science week investigations, school trips to Brockwell Gardens, wide range of clubs
St Joseph's RC Infant School continues to be a good school where pupils enjoy their learning through exciting activities and a calm, supportive environment. The school has high expectations for behaviour and places strong emphasis on reading, mathematics, and pupil wellbeing.
At a Glance
20.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
24.2
Avg class size
24.4
Infant (KS1)
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Joseph's RC Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Joseph's RC Infant School.
- Stagecoach Upper NorwoodAt the school · Not yet graded
- Camp Olympia Fidelis460m away · Not yet graded
- St Luke's School Extended Club Premier F4F Group580m away · Not yet graded
- Sporting Champs690m away · Not yet graded
- Rockmount School Holiday Club Premier F4F Group720m away · Not yet graded
- Junior Adventures Group @ Kingswood Primary School SE27830m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Joseph's RC Infant School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Croydon's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's RC Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's RC Infant School is in Croydon; for families living there:
Apply to Croydon for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 76
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 16
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 76 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 16 serious and 60 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
17 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 Croydon is 54.5 (the median across 156 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 RC Infant School
Will you get a place at St Joseph's RC Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joseph's RC Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joseph's RC Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's RC Infant School.
- Croydon publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Joseph's RC Infant School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's RC Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Croydon 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
66%
Available places
117 pupils
178 places
61 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 Croydon council
Places available
4,828
Applications
4,082
Got 1st preference
89.6%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across Croydon council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
27
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
19.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
154
Total Pupils
81
Boys
73
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
17.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£43,297
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,024
Per pupil
£974k
Total funding
£47k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.6%
Overall absence
19.0%
Persistent absence
79
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 St Joseph's RC Infant School
What is St Joseph's RC Infant School's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's RC Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's RC Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's RC Infant School is oversubscribed, Croydon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Joseph's RC Infant School?
St Joseph's RC Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 66% of its 178 places.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's RC Infant School?
Classes at St Joseph's RC Infant School average 24.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Joseph's RC Infant School?
St Joseph's RC Infant School has around 154 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's RC Infant School?
7.6% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's RC Infant School in 2024/25. 19% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's RC Infant School?
Apply through Croydon's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's RC 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 RC Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Stagecoach Upper Norwood (registered, not yet graded). There are 5 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 St Joseph's RC Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 76 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 16 serious and 60 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 17 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 Croydon is 54.5 (the median across 156 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's RC Infant School?
St Joseph's RC Infant School is at Crown Dale, Upper Norwood, London, SE19 3NX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)