St. Joseph's Convent Independent Primary School for Girls 59 Cambridge Park, London E11 2PR

"My daughter has been at St Joseph’s since nursery when she was 3yrs old. I cannot overstate how happy we are with her wonderful school. It has always been a gentle nurturing school perfect for first steps into education. There had been some concerns that previously rigorous academic standards were dropping but no more. Mrs Birtles the new headteacher has brought a wealth of experience, energy & vision. In less than a year she has revolutionised the school, no longer old fashioned & safe, the new St Joseph’s is cutting edge & exciting. Growth mindset, persistence, creativity, wonderful educational trips, meditation, specialist music, art, sport, drama & IT & the most dedicated teaching staff you could hope for. The academic curriculum has been fully overhauled with the introduction of Read Write Inc & a mastery approach in maths. The Yr 2 (Infants 3) class just did the KS1 SATs for bench marking (the children were largely totally unaware this was happening) & have done phenomenally well. With a very large percentage of girls working at ‘greater depth’ & scaled scores of 115 (the maximum score) being almost the norm. The Prep 4’s 11+ results were outstanding (on website) St Joseph’s now really does have it all, fiercely strong academics in a totally non ‘hot housing’ nurturing environment. It’s the last day of term today & my daughter wishes there was another week of school!! that’s how much she loves St Joseph’s. We feel fortunate to have this amazing school on our doorstep & are so grateful to Mrs Birtles & all the amazing staff for giving our daughter such an great attitude to learning & to life."

"My daughter started at St Jo's in the nursery and is now finishing up Year 5. This small, gentle school has been the perfect fit for her. When she started she was a very shy three year old and has blossomed into a confident ten year old! I have been very pleased with the work her teacher Mrs Ailing has done this year to prepare the girls for the 11+ exam in September and January. Mrs Ailing is an experienced teacher and my daughter has enjoyed the year very much! The school had a new headteacher, Mrs Birtles start a year ago. She has proven to be a ray of sunshine, always present in the playground, enthusiastic and very approachable. She has also started implementing some wonderful changes to make the school more dynamic. I would definitely recommend visiting St Joseph's to see if it is a good fit for your daughter! x"

"My daughter left St Joseph's in the summer to start secondary school. She had been in the school since she was three and was very happy there indeed. It wasn't perfect, but I have very fond memories of it. At its heart, there was great teaching and strong pastoral care. It's a small school and so doesn't have the facilities (or the fees) of the bigger independent schools. Because of its size, all the girls and parents get to know each other and there is a real sense of community. Whilst the school was quite old fashioned under the old head, it was academic and the girls were encouraged to think for themselves and to believe they could achieve anything. In fact, during the first week of secondary school my daughter's class was asked to draw a scientist and the teacher was very impressed because she drew a female scientist. This might be a small point but to me significant, and down to St Joseph's. The music department was/is particularly wonderful, my daughter had really wonderful singing, flute and violin teachers and thoroughly enjoyed being in the jazz band. Of course It wasn't perfect. The old head was quite aloof but with the change in headship and a little time, it could be really super and great value for money."

"Really disheartening to read such negative comments about the school online. Admittedly there have been a lot of changes recently and only feel that things will improve from here on in. My youngest is currently at the school and she has a fantastic teacher, who is very well experienced. Always approachable and open and honest with my daughters progress - she is a credit to the school. My eldest went through the 'old regime' of the previous Head and still left the school very happy and has fond memories of her time. StJ is a lovely school and whilst not the strongest academically, certainly an environment that nurtures and churns out lovely young ladies. I certainly feel that the new Head is moving the school into the 21st century and can only expect positive things from here on in. The teachers are hard working and put much effort into ensuring the girls are happy. That for me makes for a good school and puts me at ease as a parent. If you are considering the school for your daughter, go and visit and see for yourself. Speak to the girls, the teachers and perhaps some of the parents (rather than take the views of anonymous accounts online). I would question a reviewer who sends their child somewhere they claim they are not cared for."