Belmont Junior School Review 2026: A junior school that prioritises calm learning, inclusion, and pupil voice

A clear theme here is continuity, both in how pupils settle into junior school from Year 3 and in how the school is being led through its next phase. Belmont Junior School is a smaller-than-average junior school (Years 3 to 6), with 219 pupils on roll and a capacity of 240.

Since September 2024, the school has been led as part of the Belmont Infant and Junior Schools federation under Executive Headteacher Fiona Crean, with one governing body across both schools. For parents, that federation matters because it points to a more joined-up approach at the Year 2 to Year 3 transition point, which is where junior schools can either feel like a fresh start or an avoidable upheaval.

The most recent full inspection judged the school Good, and the report paints a picture of pupils who feel safe, behave well in lessons, and learn in an orderly environment.

A distinctive detail, and one that says a lot about the school’s approach to pupil voice, is that pupils told inspectors they see not having a school uniform as a positive part of self-expression. That is a practical day-to-day signal: this is a setting that appears comfortable with individuality, and that tries to build belonging through relationships and routines rather than through identical clothing.

The federation structure also shapes the feel of the school. With the infant and junior schools now formally federated, leaders talk about collaboration, shared systems, and continuity. For families who worry about the jump from infant to junior provision, that is an encouraging direction of travel because it suggests the two schools are thinking about the handover as one journey rather than a handoff between separate institutions.

In the inspection narrative, pupils come across as settled and positive about day-to-day life. The report describes pupils as happy and safe, with little bullying and prompt follow-up when concerns are raised. It also notes calm, orderly learning, with pupils focused in lessons and high expectations for behaviour as a condition of learning well.

Beyond the formal curriculum, there is evidence of inclusion being lived rather than merely stated. The school highlights a long-running partnership with The Vale Special School, describing pupils with physical disabilities as an important part of school life and noting mutual benefit for children in both settings. This kind of partnership tends to shape culture over time, because children grow up seeing difference as normal, and adults have to get very good at practical inclusion.

Belmont Junior School’s published Key Stage 2 picture is strong, and, crucially, it is strong across the combined measure parents care about most at this age.

In 2024, 74% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. The England average in the same measure was 62%, so the school is ahead of the national benchmark on the headline indicator. At the higher standard, 34.67% of pupils achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with the England average of 8%. Reading, mathematics and grammar, punctuation and spelling scaled scores were each 107 or 108, with a combined reading, maths and GPS total score of 322.

Ranked 2,994th in England and 22nd in Haringey for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), performance sits above the England average, placing it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

For parents, the implication is not just a single set of good scores. The more useful message is that the school appears to get a meaningful proportion of pupils securely to expected, while also stretching a sizeable group into higher standard outcomes. In practice, that usually comes from consistent classroom routines, clear sequencing of knowledge, and good use of intervention when pupils arrive in Year 3 with gaps.

Parents comparing local junior options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and its Comparison Tool to see how these outcomes stack up against nearby schools on the same measures, rather than relying on reputation alone.

The inspection evidence points to a curriculum that is planned carefully and taught in a way that helps pupils build knowledge over time. Leaders have selected structured schemes for most subjects, and subject leadership is described as knowledgeable and well trained, with coaching for those new to their roles.

There are also some subject-specific insights that are useful for parents. The report highlights strong understanding in history, art and design, mathematics, religious education, and computing, with learning revisited so pupils can make links between new and prior knowledge. If your child enjoys these areas, or benefits from teachers joining the dots explicitly, that matters.

Reading is treated as a priority, and the inspection narrative focuses on catch-up for pupils who arrive in Year 3 needing extra help. Leaders work with pupils’ previous schools so support can start quickly, and gaps are identified and addressed through a tailored offer. In a junior school, that transition detail is more important than parents sometimes realise, because children are arriving from multiple infant settings, with different phonics approaches and different emphases.

Practical, real-world learning shows up in the wider curriculum too. The inspection report refers to pupils raising chickens and growing vegetables in a school garden, and to a broad personal development offer through workshops that reinforce personal, social, health and economic education and pupils’ understanding of safety. These are small details, but they often indicate a school that is thinking about education as more than exercise books.

As a junior school, the main destination point is secondary transfer at the end of Year 6. The most helpful way to think about this is in two layers.

First, families are choosing within the borough’s secondary landscape. Haringey’s state secondary options include Alexandra Park School, Duke’s Aldridge Academy, Fortismere School, Gladesmore Community School, Greig City Academy, Harris Academy Tottenham, Heartlands High School, Highgate Wood Secondary School, Hornsey School for Girls, Mulberry Academy Woodside, Park View School, and St Thomas More Catholic School.

Second, the right choice depends on your priorities, travel tolerance, and each school’s admissions criteria. The borough provides tools such as a distance calculator and guidance on applying for secondary school places. If you are planning around distance-based criteria, it is worth using the FindMySchool Map Search alongside the local authority guidance so you can sense-check how realistic your preferred options are from your exact address.

Belmont Junior School’s own inspection evidence suggests pupils are prepared for the next stage academically, with leaders aiming for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, to achieve well. The school also notes that transition arrangements are discussed with families in the summer term.

Belmont Junior School is a two-form entry junior school for Years 3 to 6. The main entry point is Year 3, typically for children moving on from infant school.

For September 2026 entry, the published closing date for applications is 15 January 2026. Admissions are coordinated through Haringey, rather than applying directly to the school for the standard intake.

The oversubscription priorities are also set out clearly. After children in public care and children with exceptional medical, social or educational needs (including those with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school), priority moves through siblings already at the junior school, siblings at the infant school, then distance from the school. That sibling link between the infant and junior sites is particularly relevant in a federated structure, because it can create a smoother pathway for families already in the community.

In-year admissions are routed via the local authority, and the school notes it checks waiting lists regularly and contacts parents if spaces become available. For parents moving into the area, that is a useful practical point, but it is still wise to keep alternative options in mind, because in-year vacancies can change quickly.

Visits are handled through regular tours, with the school advising parents to contact the school directly if they want to visit before applying. If your child is sensitive to change, a tour can be particularly valuable for junior transfer, because it allows them to visualise the move and ask questions.

Pastoral strength is one of the clearer takeaways from the inspection evidence. Pupils are described as safe and happy, with little bullying, and with confidence that adults will act if problems are reported. That “tell a teacher and it stops” message matters because it is the practical test of whether a school’s behaviour culture is working.

The school’s wider personal development offer is also referenced explicitly. Personal, social, health and economic education is used to teach about relationships, and workshops reinforce safety understanding. In the junior years, these structures tend to show up as clearer language for managing conflict, better supervision routines, and pupils who can explain expectations rather than simply comply with them.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is described as ambitious and inclusive. The inspection narrative focuses on individualised support, family involvement, and progress alongside peers, which is typically what parents want to hear at this age: help that is effective, but not separating children from the full life of the class unless it genuinely needs to.

A junior school’s enrichment offer is often the quickest route to confidence for pupils who take time to shine academically, or who are new to the community in Year 3. Here, there are several strands that stand out from published information.

First, the school runs wraparound provision that doubles as a social space. Breakfast Club runs from 7.45am to 8.55am, and After School Club runs from 3.30pm to 5.55pm. Fees are published for 2025 to 2026 at £4.50 for Breakfast Club and £13 for After School Club. The value of this goes beyond childcare, because clubs that are run in-house tend to create familiar adults, consistent routines, and friendships across classes.

Second, there is a structured house system, which is a meaningful piece of culture in a junior school. Pupils are placed into one of six house teams, Cobras, Eagles, Scorpions, Phoenix, Panthers, and Wolves, and they stay in the same house through their time at the school, often matching siblings. House systems work well when they are used to build cross-year-group connection. The school explicitly links this to Sports Day, where houses compete for the Belmont Sports Day Shield.

Third, the curriculum itself includes some specific enrichment that parents will recognise as practical and confidence-building. Swimming is part of physical education, with pupils travelling to Tottenham Green swimming pool to be taught in ability groups by qualified instructors, and with the stated aim that all pupils will be able to swim 25 metres by the end of Year 6. This is a tangible life skill, and it is also often a confidence point for children who do not yet feel “sporty” in team games.

Finally, community life is supported through the Belmont Families parent and teacher association. The association describes a strong programme of events and reports raising over £31,000 in 2024 to 2025, with funds supporting enrichment activities and helping keep costs affordable for families. In practical terms, an active association often means more trips, visiting speakers, and extras that schools can struggle to fund from core budgets.

The school day runs from 8.55am to 3.30pm, which the school notes equates to 32.5 hours a week. Wraparound care is available through Breakfast Club (from 7.45am) and After School Club (until 5.55pm).

For travel planning, the school identifies local public transport options, including nearby bus routes and the nearest Tube and rail stations. On-street congestion at drop-off can be a factor in this part of London, so families who can walk, scoot, or use public transport often find mornings easier.

Term dates for the 2025 to 2026 academic year are published, which is helpful for childcare planning around half terms and inset days.

• Geography curriculum development. The latest inspection highlights that mapping skills were not taught in enough detail at the time, and leaders were expected to tighten sequencing so pupils build secure map-reading knowledge from Year 3 to Year 6. If your child loves geography, it is worth asking how this has been strengthened since the inspection.

• Consistency of early reading support. Leaders were praised for identifying gaps and providing targeted reading catch-up when pupils join in Year 3, but the report also noted that classroom delivery of additional phonics was not consistently supported by sufficient staff training. Parents of children who need reading support should ask what intervention looks like now, and how it is reinforced day to day in class.

• Playground relationships. Behaviour in lessons was described as strong, but inspectors also noted that, on occasion, pupils were less respectful to each other in the playground, and that leaders were working on this through relationship education. If your child is socially sensitive, ask about supervision routines and how minor incidents are handled at break times.

• Leadership stability. The inspection report refers to disruption within leadership staffing, and the need for strong oversight so standards do not slip. With the federation in place from September 2024, it is reasonable to ask how responsibilities are distributed across the leadership team, and how that supports consistency for pupils and parents.

Belmont Junior School offers a settled junior-phase experience with strong academic indicators at Key Stage 2 and an inspection-backed picture of calm learning, effective safeguarding, and pupils who feel safe. The federation across the infant and junior schools, alongside a published admissions pathway for Year 3 transfer, should reassure families who want a coherent journey through the primary years.

Best suited to families looking for a local, community junior school where individuality is respected, routines support learning, and pupils can build confidence through wraparound care, a clear house system, and practical enrichment such as swimming.