St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Northfleet

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 January 2023

Pupils love coming to this school. Friendships are important here. There is a genuine warmth about the welcome everyone receives. Pupils see the school as a safe place. Levels of attendance are high, as are levels of respect for others and for the multitude of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds that make up the family of St Joseph's. Pupils who struggle in any way are supported with kindness and understanding by their peers and by staff alike. Pupils 'own' their own list of expectations for 'positive behaviour' and 'playing a part'. Written and agreed by the school council, these guidelines underpin all aspects of school life. Crucially, they build on the high aspirations of staff, making for purposeful classrooms and a determined yet caring community spirit across all phases of the school. Pupils know they come here to learn. They enjoy acquiring new knowledge, but also understand the importance of supporting each other to achieve their best. A group of older boys unexpectedly revealed after a music lesson that they love playing the recorder. It was not necessarily the instrument that they liked, but the 'teamwork' required to produce the impressively harmonious whole-class performance the inspector had enjoyed earlier that afternoon.

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