Phoenix Primary School

About Phoenix Primary School

Phoenix Primary School in Southwark has been rated Outstanding in every category of its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2025, including quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a school that has clearly sustained high standards, having also been rated Outstanding in its previous inspection a decade earlier. The strongest single indicator of its academic performance is the Key Stage 2 combined expected standard in reading, writing and maths, where 86% of pupils met the benchmark in 2023/24. That figure is well above the Southwark local authority average of 68%, and it places Phoenix 7th out of 60 primary schools in the borough, putting it in the top 12% locally. Nationally, the school sits in the top 5% of all primary schools for this measure, which is a striking achievement for a state primary with a pupil roll of 508.

Digging into the detail of those 2023/24 results, the school’s strengths are consistent across subjects. In reading, 97% of pupils reached the expected standard and 55% achieved the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 111. Maths tells a similar story: 97% at expected, 58% at the higher level, and an average score of 110. Writing is slightly less strong at the higher level, with 27% achieving greater depth, but the 86% expected standard matches the combined figure. The school’s ranking score of 86, based on the KS2 expected standard metric, puts it in the top five tier nationally. Ofsted’s inspection report, published in September 2025, awarded Outstanding grades across the board, with the early years provision also rated Outstanding. The parent view survey, based on 42 responses between September 2024 and September 2025, shows 81% would recommend the school, and 91% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy here.

Phoenix is a larger-than-average primary, with 508 pupils against a capacity of 682, and it offers nursery provision for children from age three. The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 116 applications for 46 places, a ratio of 2.52 applicants per place, with all 39 first-preference applicants offered a spot. Facilities include a Forest School, outdoor playground, gymnasium, playing fields, sports hall, art studios and even a chapel. Sports on offer include swimming, cricket, netball and tennis, while clubs range from drama and choir to science and art clubs. The school’s SEND provisions are broad, covering moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. With 40.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, this is a diverse, inclusive school that delivers strong academic outcomes while serving a community with significant disadvantage. It will suit families who want a proven, high-performing state primary with a wide range of enrichment opportunities and a strong track record of supporting children with additional needs.

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