St Bede's Catholic Primary School
About St Bede's Catholic Primary School
St Bede's Catholic Primary School is a small Roman Catholic primary in Lambeth with just 63 pupils against a capacity of 235, and its headline metrics tell a story of a school that is both popular and under significant pressure. The school is heavily oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 29 applications for just 13 places, with 11 of those coming as first preferences, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.23. That demand is striking when you consider the local authority average for Key Stage 2 attainment sits at 66 per cent — a benchmark the school's own results would need to match or exceed to justify such competition. With 37.7 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, the school serves a notably disadvantaged community, yet its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good overall, with leadership and management judged Outstanding. That combination of high deprivation and strong leadership likely explains why families are queuing up for places, despite the school's tiny size.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, 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
1 Mar 2023Latest monitoring visit (1 Mar 2023): School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next
Source: Ofsted, 24 Jul 2013. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
5Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
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.
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