South Grove Primary School

About South Grove Primary School

South Grove Primary School in Waltham Forest has been rated Outstanding by Ofsted following its most recent ungraded inspection in May 2024, a rating it has held since its last graded inspection in 2019. The school’s leadership and management, as well as its early years provision, were also judged Outstanding. On the key academic metric for primary schools, 79% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year. That is five percentage points above the Waltham Forest local authority average of 74%, placing South Grove 14th out of 48 primary schools in the borough and inside the top 25% nationally. The school’s ranking score of 79 reflects solid, above-average performance, though it sits behind the very top performers in the area such as Riverley Primary School and Yardley Primary School.

Looking more closely at the individual subject results, the school’s average scaled scores in reading and maths were both 107, comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. In maths, 80% of pupils reached the expected standard and 25% achieved the higher standard, while in reading 82% met expectations and 21% reached the higher level. Writing saw 82% at the expected standard and 23% at the higher level. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard across all three subjects was 10%, a figure that suggests the school is strong at moving children from meeting expectations to exceeding them, but still has room to push more pupils into the top tier. The school’s previous Ofsted inspection in 2014 rated it Good, so the trajectory has been upward, with leadership and management consistently strong across both inspections.

South Grove is a three-form entry primary with nursery provision and is significantly oversubscribed: for 59 places in 2025/26, there were 235 applications, a ratio of nearly four applicants per place, and 54 first-preference offers were made from 68 first-preference applications. The school has a broad range of facilities including a sensory room, library, music rooms, art studios and playing fields, and offers sports such as football, swimming, netball, cricket and athletics. Its SEND provisions are extensive, covering moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability and social, emotional and mental health support, plus a resourced provision. With 28.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse community and will particularly suit families looking for a well-run, inclusive primary with strong academic foundations and a wide extracurricular offer.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About South Grove Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents