Welcome to Our Lady and Saint Joseph Primary School, Hackney.

We are delighted to have you join us. As a small Catholic school with deep roots in the community, we pride ourselves on our close-knit environment where staff, students, and families work together in harmony. Our staff is committed to knowing and caring for each child, fostering a supportive and collaborative atmosphere that extends to parents, encouraging their active involvement in achieving the school's objectives. We warmly invite you to participate fully during your time with us.

Our motto is to shine with love, kindness, and respect. These are not merely words on a classroom wall; they are principles we live by and strive to embody in every aspect of school life. We believe that empathy is essential not only for children's emotional and ethical development but also for their capacity to learn.

Our student body is wonderfully diverse, allowing children to learn from one another as well as from our dedicated teachers. One of the highlights of our year is Cultural Diversity Day, where each child shares their unique background with the school community, enriching our collective experience.
Our size allows us to maintain independence and implement what works best for our pupils. 

In collaboration with parents, carers, and the wider community, we aim to provide an inclusive and nurturing environment where each child can thrive academically, socially, and spiritually. 

Thank you for choosing our school. We look forward to an exciting and fulfilling journey ahead.

Warm regards,

Aoife O'Grady

Headteacher

Please see below for a video of a day in the life of our school.

Parent Testimonials:

We are very happy to share our experience of moving our child to OLSJ as it has been such a smooth and friendly process. 

The decision to move them mid term was not made lightly, I was worried about it having a negative impact on them emotionally and academically. I also thought the process would be complicated and cumbersome. I looked into a couple of other schools however OLSJ was always a preference. The parents and children we’d walk past on the school run in the morning were always friendly and chatty so our child already knew some of the pupils and being on our doorstep helped too.

I was a little bit nervous when I first visited the office to ask about places, however the office staff were always lovely and warm and very helpful with the paperwork (which actually turned out to be a lot more straight forward than I’d expected). 

We also love Miss O’Grady's open and friendly approach, something that resonates throughout the whole school. Our first day started with a warm welcome and chat in her office. Our child had a lot to say and was met with interest and encouragement. 

The transfer has been a really positive experience for us all. Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful, reinforcing all the aspects of why we wanted to move in the first place. 

Our child, and myself, have settled in wonderfully and we have gone from a child who showed no interest in school or his work, to an enthusiastic, eager to learn child who happily scoots across the road every morning! When I picked them up at the end of their first day they were beaming and said they'd had the best time and thier classmates and teachers made them feel like they'd always been a part of the school.

Thank you so much to everyone, we are so grateful for your support!

OLSJ Parent

We would like to take this opportunity to express our happiness with our daughter's transfer from her previous school.

Our experience as prospective parents was exemplary, from our initial meeting to the tour of the school by 2 year 6 pupils, who could not be more welcoming, proud (of their school) and  impressive.

The cross borough transfer process involving the admin was executed in a professional manner, whilst maintaining the welcoming manner displayed by the Head and all the other staff we came into contact with.  No problems manifested themselves, particularly given the urgency of the transfer (from our side).  The bureaucracy of our daughter's move was uncomplicated, her transition into her new class was equally effortless.  Everything and everyone was done to welcome her and heard nothing but positive feedback from our daughter.

The school's recognition that most parents work is so helpful, there is always sufficient notice provided so that parents are able to attend the many school events.  In fact, we've been meaning to give feedback to Ofsted during the inspection, but have not had the opportunity during the inspection itself, due to time constraints.

The PA is extremely engaged and proactive raising an impressive amount of funds towards the school climbing frame and other activities .  We were equally impressed by other events throughout the year, i.e. the fireworks and the summer fayre to name but a few.  It felt that every parent attended and there was a genuine feeling of community which was heartwarming.  The parents at the school are also friendly and welcoming, they have set up a platform to help other parents.

OLSJ provides wide and diverse after school clubs and activities that are substantially cheaper than those offered privately.  We feel our daughter's improvement across the board has been remarkable in the last year.  I am amazed and grateful that the Head has recognised this too and is truly invested in every child's education within her school.

Every week there is a detailed and informative newsletter,  involving every class with a sheer determination to ensure that it is inclusive.

We feel truly privileged to be part of this outstanding educational establishment.

OLSJ Parent

As we near the end of our daughter's OLSJ journey, I feel incredibly humbled to be writing this email to you as headteacher of a school, which in my view, has set her up for life.

There are no words that will truly and effectively convey my most sincere thank you to everyone who has played a part in her journey.  None of the contribution (whether big or small) has gone unnoticed. The school has played a huge part in shaping the young person she is today.  From the tiny dot who couldn’t see over Miss Glass’ desk to the quirky, chatty young lady she is today!

A few people deserve a special mention:

Miss Ruminska who has been a perfect combination of fair yet firm, approachable yet professional and who has brought out the very best of her, encouraging her to be more independent and believe in her own ability. She has listened carefully to matters I have brought to her attention and dealt with them speedily and considerately. Our daughter will miss her greatly;

Miss Glass and Miss O’Hagan who have expertly handled my frantic phone calls when I’ve made a parent mistake and pointed me in the right direction when I’ve needed assistance;

Daniel who opened up every morning for breakfast club (and earlier when it rains!);

Miss Asia who always has a smile on her face and is the kindest soul (I will continue to bug her about training to be a teacher!);

Miss Fiona and Miss Emma who entertain her quirkiness and encouraged it in the Annie production;

The dinner ladies for always cooking a roast on Wednesday(!);

Mr James for his obvious concern for each child, welcoming them each by name every morning and bringing a smile to each of their faces;

Miss Dyer for bringing her infectious joy and spreading pure happiness which oozes out of her!

And finally, Miss O’Grady, your influence on the school has been nothing short of amazing. You have created a caring, nurturing environment where the attainment to succeed educationally is matched by the pastoral direction you convey to the staff and children. Under your leadership the school and gone from strength to strength and I look forward to continuing to be part of the OLSJ community for the next few years.

Once again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done for our daughter. I am eternally grateful. 

OLSJ Parent