Our Lady of Muswell Catholic Primary School Review 2026: Outstanding Catholic primary with consistently strong KS2 outcomes

There is a clear sense of order here, shaped by the school’s “golden rules” and by a Catholic ethos that is intended to run through daily life. The most recent inspection (18 and 19 June 2024) judged that the school remains Outstanding, describing high expectations, strong relationships and pupils who are exceptionally well prepared for secondary transition.

Academically, the data points in the same direction. In 2024, 80.7% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, and scaled scores of 108 in reading, maths and GPS indicate secure foundations. In FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking, the school is placed 2,046th in England and 14th in Haringey, which sits comfortably within the top quarter of schools in England. (FindMySchool ranking based on official data.)

Ages run from 3 to 11, with nursery provision and a Published Admission Number of 60 for Reception.

This is a voluntary aided Catholic primary, and the admissions policy is explicit that Catholic doctrine and practice are expected to shape the life of the school, with families asked to support that ethos. For many parents, that clarity is a positive because it signals consistency and a shared moral framework, rather than a generic faith label.

The school also leans into Catholic Social Teaching as a practical structure for values education, with themes such as care of creation and solidarity used across the year. For pupils, the implication is that assemblies, classroom discussions and leadership roles are likely to use a common language around responsibility, service and community, rather than treating values as a one off topic.

Heritage matters here, but it is told as a sequence of local, tangible milestones rather than vague tradition. The school’s own history notes roots in a small school opened by the Order of St Martin de Tours in May 1904, and then a new Catholic diocesan primary school opened on 28 February 1959. Later expansion is part of the story too, including a major extension opened on 1 July 2004. That sense of continuity tends to appeal to families who want a settled school identity, particularly in a busy part of London where many schools change rapidly.

Leadership is presented on the school website as an Executive Headteacher model, with Stephen McNicholas listed as Executive Headteacher and Colette Harrington as Head of School. Government records also list Mr Stephen McNicholas as headteacher. (The June 2024 inspection document names Angela McNicholas as headteacher at the time of inspection, so families researching leadership will want to read recent communications and ask how responsibilities are split between executive and head of school roles.)

Start with the headline because it is the figure most parents use for quick comparison. In 2024, 80.7% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. The England average for the same measure is 62%. That gap is meaningful because it suggests the school is not only producing high attainers, but also getting a large majority over the national benchmark.

Depth matters too. 36.3% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 8%. For a parent, that typically translates into lessons that move beyond basic competence, with pupils expected to explain thinking, tackle multi step problems, and write with control and ambition.

The scaled score profile reinforces the picture of broad strength rather than one standout area. Reading, maths and GPS are all at 108. The combined reading, GPS and maths total score is 324. This kind of symmetry usually indicates that the school is not “teaching to one test”, but building general literacy, numeracy and writing accuracy in parallel.

Rankings give additional context, but they should be used carefully. Ranked 2,046th in England and 14th in Haringey for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits above England average, placing it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England. For local families, that top tier local placement is often the more useful signal, because it suggests the school compares strongly against other options in the borough.

Parents comparing several local schools can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page to view these results side by side using the Comparison Tool, particularly helpful when one school has a higher combined expected standard percentage but another has a higher greater depth profile.

The most credible marker of teaching quality is whether curriculum intent is clear and consistently delivered. The latest inspection describes a carefully planned and well sequenced curriculum, with leaders identifying the key knowledge and skills pupils are expected to learn, and lessons focused on secure knowledge and vocabulary. The implication for pupils is consistency across classes, fewer gaps between year groups, and clearer expectations for what “good work” looks like.

Reading appears to be treated as a whole school priority from the earliest years. The inspection notes strong staff training around the phonics programme and a deliberate emphasis on communication and language in early years, including rhyme, songs and stories. This matters because early reading is one of the strongest predictors of later attainment, and schools that invest in systematic early reading often reduce the number of pupils who need catch up support in Key Stage 2.

There are also signs of subject breadth being taken seriously. In June 2024, inspectors carried out curriculum deep dives in reading, mathematics and art and design. Art and design being selected is telling because it tends to happen where leaders believe a foundation subject is taught with rigour, not treated as filler. For families who value creativity alongside core learning, this is a meaningful detail.

For a primary school, “destination” is as much about readiness as it is about named secondary schools. The June 2024 inspection report states that by the time pupils leave Year 6, they are exceptionally well prepared for the move to secondary school. In practice, that usually reflects secure literacy and numeracy, but also routines around independence, organisation and learning behaviours.

The school does not routinely publish a statistical breakdown of which secondary schools pupils move on to. That is common for London primaries, and it often changes year to year depending on sibling links, borough boundaries and family moves. Parents who want a realistic sense of likely pathways should ask directly for recent leaver patterns, and then sanity check those routes against current admissions rules for the relevant secondaries.

This is a popular school. For the Reception entry route reflected in the admissions data, there were 195 applications for 60 offers, or 3.25 applications per place, which aligns with an Oversubscribed status. In practical terms, families should plan early, especially if they are relying on a faith criterion or sibling priority.

Because it is voluntary aided, the school’s governing body sets admissions criteria, and applicants need to complete the local authority application plus a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) if applying under the faith based criteria. The admissions policy is clear that both the local authority form and the SIF should be returned by 15 January 2026 for September 2026 entry, otherwise an application may not be fully considered.

The oversubscription criteria prioritise Catholic looked after and previously looked after children first, then baptised Catholic children, then other looked after and previously looked after children, then catechumens and members of an Eastern Christian Church, then siblings, then other Christian denominations with supporting evidence, and finally any other children. If a category is still oversubscribed, distance is used as the tie break, measured as a straight line between address points.

Key dates for Haringey Reception entry for September 2026 are published by the local authority: applications open on 1 September 2025, the deadline is 15 January 2026, offer day is 16 April 2026, and the acceptance deadline is 30 April 2026.

Nursery admission is separate. The school states that nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place, and parents must apply again for Reception. The nursery admissions page indicates that the nursery was full for 2025 to 2026 and provides a separate application route for 2026 to 2027, along with nursery tour listings that appear to cluster in January, so families should treat early spring as a typical window for nursery visits and check the school’s latest update before making plans.

Parents considering the school mainly on distance should use the FindMySchool Map Search to measure their exact home to school distance and compare it against typical patterns for similar voluntary aided primaries. Even without a published “last distance offered” figure here, precision matters.

Pastoral strength is best judged by consistency, not slogans. The June 2024 inspection narrative describes pupils who feel safe, strong adult pupil relationships and behaviour that is calm and well established, with bullying described as very rare and dealt with quickly if it occurs. For many children, that translates into a learning environment with fewer low level disruptions and more time spent on actual teaching.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is also described as integrated, with accurate identification and resources adapted so pupils can learn the same curriculum as classmates, supported by engagement with external agencies when needed. The implication is that this is not a school that defaults to narrowing the curriculum for pupils who need extra help, which matters if you want your child to stay in step with peers while receiving targeted support.

Ofsted confirmed safeguarding arrangements were effective at the time of inspection.

The most useful marker of enrichment is specificity, because generic club lists can mean very different things in practice. Here, the June 2024 inspection report gives unusually concrete examples of after school activities, including boxing, chess, Italian, Latin ballroom dancing, French and art. That mix suggests a school that is willing to offer both traditional academic extensions (languages, chess) and less common options (ballroom dancing), which can be a real advantage for pupils who do not immediately see themselves in mainstream sports clubs.

Sport is clearly part of the offer. The PE curriculum page refers to extra curricular clubs delivered by a specialist PE teacher and sports coach, with examples including multi sports, dodgeball, dance and boxing. For families, the practical takeaway is that sport here is not limited to fixtures, it is also used as a confidence and wellbeing lever, which can suit children who benefit from structured physical outlets.

There is also a strong hint of outward looking enrichment. Pupils are reported to visit nearby woods frequently for outdoor learning, and the school runs an annual Aspirations Week to help pupils think about next steps and careers, alongside pupil leadership roles such as digital leaders and eco warriors. For primary pupils, that kind of programme can be unusually motivating because it links classroom work to real world roles without pushing children into premature career thinking.

The school day is published as 8:40am to 3:20pm, with breakfast club running from 7:45am. Breakfast club is open to children from nursery through Year 6; the published cost is £6.00 per child per day, with £5.50 for an additional sibling attending at the same time.

After school wraparound care is available on site through Junior Adventures Group provision until 6:00pm on weekdays, and the school also distinguishes between activity based after school clubs (typically finishing earlier) and the later wraparound option. Families should expect additional costs for wraparound and many clubs, plus the usual state school extras such as uniform and trips.

Muswell Hill is largely bus served, so many families combine walking with bus connections to nearby transport hubs. Parking constraints can be typical for residential London streets, so it is worth checking the usual drop off pattern and walking routes during a tour.

• Faith criteria are central. The admissions policy is explicit that Catholic practice is expected to permeate school life, and the oversubscription criteria strongly prioritise baptised Catholic children and related faith categories. This can be a good fit for Catholic families; it can feel misaligned if you want a faith neutral experience.

• Competition for places is real. With 195 applications for 60 offers in the available admissions data, you should plan for the possibility of not securing a place, even with careful preparation.

• Nursery is not a back door into Reception. The school’s policy states that attending nursery does not guarantee a Reception place; families must apply again through the normal Reception route and meet the same admissions criteria.

• Wraparound adds cost and coordination. Breakfast club and after school care are available, but they are paid services and require planning around timings and handover arrangements.

Our Lady of Muswell Catholic Primary School combines a clear Catholic identity with high expectations and results that sit above England averages. The enrichment offer is a genuine strength because it includes distinctive clubs and structured programmes that broaden horizons without feeling bolted on. Best suited to families who actively want a Catholic school culture, and who can engage early with the admissions process in a competitive local market.