South Norwood Primary
About South Norwood Primary
South Norwood Primary is a state primary school in Croydon with 326 pupils on roll, well below its capacity of 420. That spare capacity is notable because the school is heavily oversubscribed: for 58 places in the 2025/26 intake, it received 167 applications, an oversubscription ratio of 2.88. Only 40 first-preference offers were made from 42 first-preference applications, so securing a place is competitive. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage — 39.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average for primary schools. Headteacher James Looker leads a mixed-gender school for ages 4 to 11. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, the school was rated Good overall, a significant improvement from its previous inspection in 2018 when it was rated Inadequate. Every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — was rated Good.
Key Details
The full report on this school
What 40 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
10 Jan 2023Source: Ofsted, 8 Mar 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
13Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:55 – 15:15
Breakfast club
07:45-08:45
After-school care
15:15-18:00
Source: thepioneeracademy.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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