Dersingham Primary School

About Dersingham Primary School

Dersingham Primary School sits comfortably above the Newham local authority average for its key stage 2 results, with 78% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the LA average of 74%. That four-point gap might not sound enormous, but it places the school 25th out of 61 primaries in the borough, putting it in the top 40% of Newham schools. More strikingly, 13% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, and the school’s maths and reading average scores both sit at 108, which is above the national benchmark of 100. These figures are particularly notable given that nearly 40% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a level of disadvantage that often drags results down elsewhere. Dersingham is clearly punching above its weight, and the data suggests it’s doing so consistently.

The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, awarded Outstanding grades across every category inspected: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. That’s a clean sweep of top marks, and a significant upgrade from its previous Good rating in 2011. The parent view survey backs this up strongly: 98% of the 36 respondents said they would recommend the school, and 98% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there. On behaviour, every parent agreed the school ensures pupils are well behaved, and 97% felt their child does well. The only area where a small number of parents expressed dissatisfaction was around how concerns are handled, with 3% strongly disagreeing that concerns are dealt with properly, though 62% agreed or strongly agreed. Academically, the school ranks in the top 25% nationally for its key stage 2 expected standard score, and in the top 29% within London.

Dersingham is a large primary with 621 pupils, operating very close to its capacity of 630, and it’s heavily oversubscribed: for 55 places in 2025/26, there were 149 applications, a ratio of 2.71 applicants per place. All 48 first-preference applicants were offered a place, so being local and putting it first matters. The school has a nursery provision for children from age 3, and offers a range of sports including gymnastics, athletics, netball and football, plus clubs for drama, coding and choir. Its SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Facilities include playing fields, a gymnasium, ICT suite, dining hall and a chapel. This is a school that suits families who want strong academic outcomes in a diverse, inner-London setting, and who are prepared to navigate a competitive admissions process to secure a place.

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