English Martyrs' Roman Catholic Primary School

About English Martyrs' Roman Catholic Primary School

English Martyrs' Roman Catholic Primary School in Southwark is clearly a popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 reception intake, the school received 45 applications for just 19 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.37. Of those 45 applicants, 18 put the school as their first preference, and all 18 were offered a place. This level of demand suggests strong parent confidence, though it is worth noting that the school does not publish a parent-view survey result to back that up directly. The school is a state-funded Roman Catholic primary for mixed genders aged 4 to 11, with a nursery provision attached. It currently has 328 pupils on roll, very close to its capacity of 330, and a notably high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 46.7 per cent.

Academically, English Martyrs' most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2025 confirmed it remains a Good school, with leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness all rated Good. This marks a significant improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2016, when it was rated Requires Improvement. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 61 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the Southwark local authority average of 68 per cent. The school ranks 42nd out of 60 primary schools in the borough on this measure, placing it in the bottom half locally. However, individual subject scores are more mixed: 81 per cent met the expected standard in maths, with an average score of 104, while reading and writing expected rates were 80 per cent and 66 per cent respectively. Only 3 per cent of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a dining hall, outdoor playground, playing fields, music rooms, art studios, a gymnasium and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, athletics, gymnastics, rounders, cricket, tennis and cross country, while clubs include gardening, book club, chess, drama, film club and science club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists a broad set of SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate and profound multiple learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. The nearest outstanding-rated primary school is Surrey Square Primary School, just 0.4 km away, which may be a useful alternative for families who do not secure a place here. This school will particularly suit Catholic families in Southwark who value a faith-based setting with strong community demand and a wide range of extracurricular activities.

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