Our Lady of Victories Catholic Primary School

Friendship, Family, Faith reads the motto above the gates on Clarendon Drive, and at Our Lady of Victories the three sit together rather than competing. This is a small, single-form Roman Catholic primary in the heart of Putney, serving the parish of Our Lady of Pity and St Simon Stock and drawing families from across Wandsworth. With around 183 pupils across seven year groups and a published admission number of 30, it keeps a village-school scale inside one of south-west London's busiest residential pockets. Academic results sit in the top 10% in England, Ofsted rates it Good with Outstanding behaviour, and the Catholic life of the school shapes the week from morning prayer to the parish Mass calendar. Places are tightly contested, with roughly three to four applicants for every place, and the faith-based admissions criteria decide who gets in. For families who share the school's faith and want a small, high-achieving primary, it is among the most appealing options in the area.

The defining feature here is scale paired with faith. One class per year group means roughly 28 pupils per cohort and a community where staff know every child by name, a structure that the school leans into deliberately. Ms Anna Madden leads as head teacher, also carrying the safeguarding, inclusion and several subject responsibilities that a larger school would spread across a wider team, with Ms C. Lee as deputy and religious education lead. With around 183 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, the school runs slightly below its ceiling, which keeps cohorts intimate without straining resources.

Catholic identity runs through the ordinary day rather than sitting to one side of it. The school describes its purpose as keeping Christ at the centre of all it does, framed by a motto of Friendship, Family, Faith, and a mission that asks pupils to follow the example of Jesus and to love one another. That plays out in daily prayer, collective worship, a religious education curriculum led from the senior team, and a calendar tied to the liturgical year, including engagement with the 2025 Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee marking the Church's Holy Year. As the parish school for Our Lady of Pity and St Simon Stock and part of the Archdiocese of Southwark, it works closely with the parish for sacramental preparation and school Masses, so faith is a shared project between home, school and church rather than a classroom subject alone. The parish connection is not nominal: it shapes the admissions criteria, the worship calendar, and the route many pupils take into Catholic secondary schools afterward, giving families a continuous faith community from early childhood onward.

Behaviour is the standout. Inspectors judged behaviour and attitudes to be outstanding, a notch above the Good awarded overall, which tells you something concrete about the atmosphere: calm corridors, settled classrooms, and pupils who get on with their learning. For a school this size, that culture is easier to set and harder to lose. The combination of a tight community, a clear moral framework and visible leadership produces a settled environment that families consistently seek out, which is part of why demand outstrips supply each year.

The mixed-intake, four-to-eleven age range means children move through the full primary phase in one building, from the Reception year through to the end of Year 6, within the same small community. That continuity is part of the appeal: a child who joins in Reception is known to most of the staff by the time they leave, and the transitions between year groups are gentle because every teacher is a familiar face. Worship and prayer are woven into this daily rhythm, so the religious dimension is something pupils grow up inside rather than encounter only at set moments.

Academically this is one of Putney's strongest state primaries. At the end of Key Stage 2, 96% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, against an England average of 62%. That is not a marginal lead, it is a different league, and it holds across subjects: reading and science both reached 100% at the expected standard, and 96% reached the expected standard in mathematics and in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Across reading, writing, mathematics, grammar and science taken together, 98% met the expected standard, so very few pupils leave Year 6 without the foundations secured.

The picture at the higher standard is just as telling. 29% of pupils reached the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics together, comfortably above the England average of 8%, which means strong pupils are stretched rather than coasting. Average scaled scores reinforce the point, at 114 in reading, 114 in grammar, punctuation and spelling, and 111 in mathematics, all well clear of the 100 that marks the expected standard. In reading specifically, 82% achieved the higher score, with 64% reaching the higher score in mathematics and 71% in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Writing at greater depth, assessed by teachers, stood at 29%.

It ranks 617th in England and 5th in Wandsworth for primary outcomes, a proprietary FindMySchool ranking built from official results that places it well above the England average, in the top 10% of schools in England. For context, Wandsworth is a high-performing borough with strong primary provision, so a fifth-place local position is a genuine achievement rather than a low bar cleared. Cohorts are small, at 28 pupils, so a handful of children can move the percentages year to year, but the consistency over recent results is the more useful signal for parents.

The combined scaled-score measure across reading, grammar and mathematics totalled 339, the kind of figure that confirms strength across the board rather than a single standout subject masking weaker ones. Taken together, the data describes a school where nearly every child reaches the expected standard and a sizeable minority exceeds it, which is exactly the profile that supports the high onward rate to selective secondaries.

Teaching is strong and built around a one-form structure that lets staff track pupils closely from Reception to Year 6. The quality of education was judged Good, and the results show a curriculum that secures the basics for almost every child while pushing the most able toward greater depth, particularly in reading where attainment is near universal. A single class per year also means continuity of relationships: teachers hand pupils on with a detailed picture of each child, and gaps are spotted early rather than lost in larger groups.

The early years provision was rated Good, and it sets the tone for the strong reading and language outcomes that follow. Children start in a single Reception class and move up through the school in the same group, so the curriculum builds cumulatively without the disruption of reshuffling cohorts each year. By the time pupils reach the end of Key Stage 2, the near-universal reading attainment shows how that early foundation pays off across the phase.

Subject leadership is concentrated in a compact team, with the head and deputy holding several curriculum responsibilities between them, which keeps expectations consistent across the school. The head leads English, science, physical education and personal, social and health education among other areas, while the deputy leads religious education and special educational needs, so accountability for each subject sits clearly with a named member of staff. Specialist input widens the offer beyond the core: pupils have French on the timetable and music provision supported through Wandsworth Music, so the curriculum reaches past reading and mathematics into languages and the arts. Religious education is taught as a core subject in its own right, in line with the school's Catholic foundation, and carries the same weight in the timetable as the other core subjects.

As a primary, the question for most families is which secondary comes next, and Our Lady of Victories has a notably ambitious leaving profile. Around 60% of pupils move on to academically selective schools, independent and state, a reflection both of the cohort and of the preparation pupils receive across Key Stage 2. In practice that means an active 11-plus and independent-entry culture among many families, alongside transfers to local comprehensives. The strong reading and reasoning attainment by the end of Year 6 puts pupils in a good position for selective tests, which helps explain the high proportion heading to academically selective destinations.

Nearby destinations span a wide spread, from selective independents such as Putney High School to state options including Lady Margaret School and Ashcroft Technology Academy, with Catholic secondaries also drawing pupils on through faith-based transfer routes that mirror the school's own admissions approach. Transition support runs through Year 6, including the residential trip that helps prepare pupils for the move, and the school works with families through the secondary application process. The breadth of destinations tells you something about the cohort: families here weigh up bursary-assisted independent entry, selective state places and faith-based Catholic secondaries side by side, and the school's results give pupils a credible shot at most of them. Parents weighing the move can line up several of these schools using the local hub comparison tool to see results next to one another before committing to preferences, and the saved-schools shortlist makes it easy to keep a working list of secondary options as children progress through Key Stage 2.

Entry is the single biggest hurdle. The school is its own admissions authority as a voluntary aided Catholic school, with the governing body ranking applications, and it is significantly oversubscribed: in 2025 there were 110 applications for 30 Reception places, roughly 3.7 applicants per place. Applications are made through the Wandsworth co-ordinated scheme using the common application form, but a supplementary information form goes directly to the school, and getting that form and its evidence right matters. Missing the supplementary form or its supporting documents can drop an otherwise eligible child into a lower priority band.

Priority goes to Catholic children first. The published criteria place looked-after and previously looked-after baptised Catholic children at the top, followed by other baptised Catholic children, with practising families asked to provide a Certificate of Catholic Practice signed by their parish priest together with a baptismal certificate or evidence of reception into the Catholic Church. The Certificate of Catholic Practice is the document the parish priest signs to confirm a family's regular participation in the life of the Church, and it is central to the faith-based bands, so families should approach their priest in good time. Because the strongest priority bands are faith-based, proximity to the school helps only within a criterion, not across the board, so a non-Catholic family living next door does not outrank a baptised Catholic family further away.

That said, the school states clearly that applications from all faiths and none are welcome, and places not filled by Catholic applicants pass to other children further down the criteria, so non-Catholic families are not shut out in principle, though in a heavily oversubscribed year the realistic odds favour practising Catholic households. Open mornings typically run across the autumn term and into the summer before, so families should contact the school for the current dates rather than relying on past listings. To gauge how realistic a place looks from a given address, the FindMySchool map search lets you compare your home's position before you submit preferences.

Pastoral strength flows from size and from faith working together. With one class per year and a leadership team that knows every family, pupils are visible in a way that is harder to achieve in a larger school, and the outstanding behaviour judgement points to a settled, supportive environment where children feel secure. Personal development was rated Good, covering the wider growth of pupils beyond academic work, from character and relationships to an understanding of life beyond the school gates.

The Catholic ethos gives wellbeing a clear framework: Gospel values of service and care for one another are taught explicitly and modelled in the daily rhythm of prayer and worship, with the mission to love one another set out as the school's guiding principle. As a Catholic school within the Archdiocese of Southwark, it is inspected on its religious character separately from Ofsted, under the diocesan arrangements that assess Catholic life, worship and religious education, so its faith provision is held to account in its own right. Sacramental preparation, including First Holy Communion, runs in partnership with the parish of Our Lady of Pity and St Simon Stock, linking the school's pastoral and spiritual care directly to the wider Catholic community.

Safeguarding is led by the head teacher with the deputy as deputy safeguarding lead, and inclusion and special educational needs are managed within the senior team, with the deputy also serving as the special educational needs co-ordinator, so support sits close to leadership rather than being delegated away from it. For a small school, that concentration of responsibility means concerns reach decision-makers quickly, and parents have direct lines to the people making decisions about their child.

For a one-form school the extracurricular range is broad. Sport is a clear strength, with between 10 and 15 different sports offered across the year and competitive teams running from Year 3 upward, giving children regular fixtures rather than occasional taster sessions. A school choir anchors the music offer, supported by the link with Wandsworth Music, and there are creative and performing arts clubs alongside the academic and hobby clubs that most pupils take up. The school describes most children taking up a handful of extracurricular academic activities or hobby clubs each year, so participation is the norm rather than the exception.

Trips and residentials extend learning outside the gates, including a Year 6 residential that acts as a rite of passage before the move to secondary, alongside educational visits across the year groups that tie into the curriculum. The Friends of OLV parents' association is active in fundraising and community life, which for a small school is a meaningful part of how facilities and events are supported, and it reinforces the family-centred ethos the school promotes. French on the curriculum and the parish links round out a programme that reaches well beyond the core subjects despite the school's modest footprint, and the faith calendar adds its own rhythm of celebrations, services and seasonal events through the year.

The school day runs from 8:45am to 3:15pm, giving a 32.5-hour week in line with current expectations. Wraparound care is published and generous for a school this size: a Morning Club opens from 7:45am, with entry between 7:45 and 8:00am via the Charlwood Road gate, and after-school activity or supervision clubs run until 4:15pm, both for a small charge. The school also partners with Putney Wraparound, which provides extended cover and holiday clubs on site, useful for working families who need cover beyond the standard club hours.

On location, the school sits just off the Upper Richmond Road in Putney, well served by local buses and within walking distance of Putney and East Putney stations, making it accessible for families across Wandsworth without a car. As a state-funded school there are no tuition fees, with the usual associated costs limited to items such as uniform, trips and optional clubs.

Securing a place is the real test. With 110 applications for 30 places in 2025 and faith-based priority bands, entry is competitive and weighted firmly toward practising Catholic families. Families should obtain a Certificate of Catholic Practice early and complete the supplementary form carefully, as the general distance tie-break only applies within each criterion.

The Catholic character is genuine and pervasive. Prayer, Mass, religious education and Gospel values shape the week, not just assemblies. Families uncomfortable with regular worship and explicit religious teaching should look elsewhere, while those seeking a faith-centred education will find it authentic here.

Small cohorts cut both ways. One class per year means close relationships and individual attention, but a narrower peer group than a two or three-form school, and headline percentages can swing on a few children given the cohort of 28. Parents who value scale and breadth of friendship groups should weigh this.

The leaving culture leans selective. With around 60% heading to academically selective schools, the secondary-transfer environment is ambitious and, for some families, pressured. It suits households comfortable with 11-plus and independent-entry preparation more than those wanting a purely local comprehensive pathway.

Our Lady of Victories is a small Catholic primary that punches well above its size: top-10% results in England, outstanding behaviour, and a faith life that is lived rather than labelled. The combination of academic strength, a calm and caring atmosphere, and genuine parish roots makes it one of the more sought-after state primaries in Putney, with the obvious flip side that places are scarce and faith-weighted. It is best suited to practising Catholic families who want academic ambition and pastoral closeness inside a strongly religious setting, and who are prepared for a competitive, selective-leaning secondary transfer. The main caveat is access: the education is excellent, but securing a place is the challenge, and the admissions criteria reward families who plan early and meet the faith requirements.