Joseph Hood Primary School

Joseph Hood Primary School is a highly inclusive and welcoming school where pupils thrive. Inspectors found strong practice in attendance and behaviour, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Pupils attend well, behave exceptionally, feel safe, and benefit from an extensive enrichment and wellbeing offer. Safeguarding standards are met. The school's achievement, curriculum and teaching, and early years provision are at the expected standard rather than strong. Pupils typically achieve well overall and mathematics outcomes are above national averages, but disadvantaged pupils' combined and writing outcomes are below national averages, with a wide disadvantage gap. Leaders already prioritise writing improvement for disadvantaged pupils. The main area for improvement is assessment: it is not yet used consistently and precisely across the curriculum to identify gaps and ensure pupils are ready for more challenging work. Early years targeted support also needs to be consistently precise. The school is part of The Cherrywood Federation, has above-average pupil numbers, and this was a full section 5 inspection.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive school where all pupils, including those with SEND, are fully integrated and supported.
• Exemplary pupil behaviour, with care, respect and strong self-regulation across the school.
• High attendance, including for disadvantaged pupils, supported by rigorous tracking and family support.
• Outstanding leadership and governance with high expectations, accurate self-evaluation and strong staff development.
• Leaders use pupil premium funding extremely well and provide rich enrichment for all pupils.
• Extensive personal development programme builds pupils' wellbeing, safety awareness, careers understanding and British values.
• Pupils feel safe and trust staff to resolve concerns promptly.
• Ambitious curriculum with highly effective phonics teaching and strong foundational knowledge.
• Pupils typically achieve well, with mathematics outcomes above national averages.
• Pupils with SEND and EAL make sustained progress from their starting points.
• Early years children are happy, independent and benefit from strong communication, language and phonics teaching.
• Carefully planned trips, visits and pupil leadership roles, including Change Makers, enhance learning and character.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive, and staff are proud to work at the school and feel well supported.
• Governors rigorously check safeguarding and fulfil statutory duties effectively.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment is not used consistently and precisely across the curriculum to identify gaps and prepare pupils for more challenging content.
• Disadvantaged pupils' combined reading, writing and mathematics outcomes are below national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils' writing outcomes are particularly low, with a wide disadvantage gap.
• Early years targeted support is not always consistently precise enough to close children's gaps.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

• Benedict Academy
• Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School
• Harris Primary Academy Merton
• Holy Trinity CofE Primary School
• Merton Park Primary School
• Park Academy
• Singlegate Primary School
• St Mark's Primary School
• Wimbledon Park Primary School

What is Joseph Hood Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Joseph Hood Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Joseph Hood Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Joseph Hood Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Joseph Hood Primary School have?

Joseph Hood Primary School has 314 pupils on roll.

What age range does Joseph Hood Primary School cover?

Joseph Hood Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Joseph Hood Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Joseph Hood Primary School?

Joseph Hood Primary School is at Whatley Avenue, Raynes Park, London, SW20 9NS.