Friars Primary Foundation School

About Friars Primary Foundation School

Friars Primary Foundation School sits within Southwark, a London borough with 67 primary schools, where it ranks 10th overall — comfortably inside the top 25% of its local peers. Its ranking score of 81 places it behind the three top-performing schools in the area: Boutcher Church of England Primary School, The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, and Riverside Primary School. The nearest Outstanding-rated school, Charles Dickens Primary School, is just half a kilometre away, so competition among local primaries is strong. Friars is a state-funded, mixed-gender primary for children aged 3 to 11, with no religious character, and is led by headteacher Joanna Wratten. It currently has 183 pupils against a capacity of 210, and a high proportion — 45.4% — are eligible for free school meals, reflecting the diverse community it serves.

Academically, Friars performs well above the Southwark average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the local authority average of 68%. The school’s reading and maths scores are particularly strong: average scaled scores of 109 in reading and 105 in maths, with 43% of pupils reaching the higher standard in reading and 19% in writing. In maths, 14% achieved the higher benchmark. Ofsted’s most recent inspection, an ungraded visit in February 2024, confirmed the school remains Good, a rating it has held consistently across its previous graded inspections. The 2018 graded inspection rated overall effectiveness, leadership and management, early years provision, and personal development all as Good, with no areas flagged as requiring improvement.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a music room, ICT suite, sports hall, playing fields and a sensory room. Sports provision covers swimming, cross country, gymnastics, netball and athletics, while clubs include choir, chess and drama. SEND support is well-developed, with provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, physical disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. Admission for the 2025/26 year shows the school is oversubscribed: 60 applications for 29 places, with 21 first-preference offers made from 22 first-preference applications — a ratio of just over two applicants per place. Friars also has nursery provision, making it a practical choice for families looking for continuity from early years through to Year 6, particularly those who value strong academic outcomes within a genuinely inclusive setting.

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