Howard Primary School

About Howard Primary School

Howard Primary School is a state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 4 to 11, located in the London borough of Croydon. Within Croydon’s 88 primary schools, it ranks 53rd, placing it in the bottom half of the local authority. For context, the top-performing nearby schools include Heathfield Academy (ranking score 90), St John’s CofE Primary School (87), and Applegarth Academy (85) — Heathfield is also the nearest Outstanding-rated school, just 0.3 km away. Howard itself holds a Good rating from its most recent graded inspection in 2011, and an ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed the school remains Good. That 2022 visit noted that early years provision requires improvement, while leadership and management were judged Good. With 408 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, the school is close to full, and 30.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals — above the national average, reflecting the local demographic.

Academically, Howard’s Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show 61% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — below the Croydon local authority average of 66%. The school’s ranking score of 61 places it in the bottom 50% nationally, at the 53rd percentile among all primaries. Breaking down individual subjects, 75% met the expected standard in reading and in maths, while 86% did so in writing. At the higher standard, just 4% achieved the combined measure, with 23% reaching higher in reading, 20% in maths, and 7% in writing. Average scaled scores were 105 for reading and 104 for maths. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it’s not possible to say how pupils’ progress compares with similar schools nationally. The school does not have a sixth form or nursery provision.

Howard offers a solid range of facilities including an ICT suite, sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, a sensory room, gymnasium, outdoor playground, library, and a chapel. Sports on offer include swimming, cricket, cross country, and tennis, while clubs cover coding, book club, choir, and film club. The school’s SEND provisions cater for moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulty or disability. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 145 applications for 40 places, with 29 first-preference offers made — a ratio of 3.63 applicants per place. This suggests strong local demand, though the school’s ranking within Croydon is modest. Families considering Howard should weigh its Good Ofsted rating and broad facilities against below-average KS2 outcomes, and may want to visit to see if the school’s environment and support fit their child’s needs.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Howard Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents