St Joseph’s In The Park is a non-selective independent school for pupils aged from three to eleven years old. There are 170 pupils on roll. It was established on its current rural setting near Hertford in 1957. The school is set within large grounds which include woodland. Most of the accommodation is purpose built and there are specialist teaching rooms for some areas of the curriculum. Some of these rooms are in a converted stable block. Provision at the school includes a Pre-School Department containing nursery and kindergarten classes, three infant classes and four classes for pupils in the junior age range. Provision for pupils in receipt of Nursery funding was inspected separately and is reported at the end of this report. The school makes specialist provision in ‘Woodlands’, the school’s centre for pupils who have specific learning difficulties. The school aims to focus on each child’s academic and personal development and move them on to becoming independent learners through providing a ‘broad and lively’ curriculum and a ‘relaxed but purposeful’ atmosphere.