School Chooser

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedRoman Catholic122 pupils Free breakfast clubLondonLewisham
School Chooser Score
70
Above
similar schools
Likely range 43 to 87, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 94% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2023
Reached the expected level at 1173%England 63%
Attendance96.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families50%Far more than most schools
Places118 spare122 pupils, 240 places
Pupils per teacher15.6School workforce census

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in London for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 122 pupils and room for 240. About 50 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 70 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 94% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Crossfield Street, Deptford, London, SE8 3PH020 8692 4836stjps.lewisham.sch.ukMrs Louise Blyde headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 7 June 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

26 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1173%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 90%90%20172018: 87%87%20182019: 52%52%20192023: 58%58%20232024: 74%74%20242025: 73%73%2025
Since 2017: -17%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LewishamEngland
Pupils tested262724463929
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths73%74%58%52%87%90%69%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%11%0%2%8%3%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0106.0101.0100.0109.0108.0106.4105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0106.0103.0102.0107.0110.0105.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0107.0103.0104.0112.0110.0106.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard81%81%67%59%100%93%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard88%89%75%67%92%97%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)73%78%71%78%87%90%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.4-5.2+1.3+3.5
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.4-4.1+0.4+5.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged67%80%43%57%82%100%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged79%71%65%48%91%85%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
67%79%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
69%77%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
86%73%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places138 pupils for 317 places, 2024/25
44% full

179 places were empty (57% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 32% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Lewisham council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll122Census January 2026
Places24051% full
Pupils from low-income families50%50% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English34%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%22 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%7 pupils with a plan
Average class size20.36 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)51%£96,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls61 / 61
White British pupils3%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 21.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 20.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (14), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Specific learning difficulty (3), emotional and mental health (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll122140151172209200
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals50%45%40%37%31%31%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language34%39%41%44%57%69%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support26%18%12%15%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%3%4%5%5%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school10.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.12024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.0%4.1%4.7%5.0%2.6%2.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.3%2.9%3.8%3.9%2.0%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%1.2%0.9%1.1%0.6%0.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.4%10.1%13.6%15.0%6.1%7.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.10.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers7.8full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher15.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,447
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher6.62024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£11,745England £7,738. Total £1.6m
Income per pupil£9,569England £7,697. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,755England £3,480
Money in reserve-35%In the red: -£470k, -£3,358 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£305kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£11,745spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1,95712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate120 per 1,000 people31% higher than the England average
Typical house price£470,000Lewisham
Nearest bus stop170 mWavelengths, 13 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Tidemill AcademyAcademy200 m427Good 202283Compare
Grinling Gibbons Primary SchoolCouncil410 m208Good 202232Compare
Oak Gardens Primary SchoolCouncil820 m166Good 202349Compare
Childeric Primary SchoolAcademy900 m334Good 202370Compare
St Stephen's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy910 m186Good 202231Compare
St Alfege with St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England960 m200Report card 202662Compare
St James's Hatcham Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy0.6 miles151Good 202388Compare
Myatt Garden Primary SchoolCouncil0.6 miles357Not inspected89Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Joseph's Catholic Primary School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats94%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 70 is 43 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 27 · highest 97100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 70 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 70% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 43 to 87. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
-0.04
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 26 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.03
DfE progress measure; 26 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.15
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.03
2024/25; 125 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.13
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 26 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School scores 70 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 94% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 43 to 87, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Joseph's Catholic Primary School good at its last full inspection on 7 June 2023.

How good are St Joseph's Catholic Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 73% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Joseph's Catholic Primary School have?

122 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 51% full.

Is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 179 places were empty in 2024/25 (57% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 20.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does St Joseph's Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Crossfield Street, Deptford, London, SE8 3PH
Telephone
020 8692 4836
Website
www.stjps.lewisham.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Louise Blyde
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Southwark
Local authority
Lewisham
Ward
Deptford
Constituency
Lewisham North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
100729 · LAESTAB 2093478 · UKPRN 10075975

Where these figures come from