St John Baptist Southend Church of England Primary School

About St John Baptist Southend Church of England Primary School

St John Baptist Southend Church of England Primary School is a smaller-than-average primary in Lewisham, with 189 pupils against a capacity of 210. Its intake reflects a notably diverse socioeconomic mix: 22.2 per cent of pupils qualify for free school meals, which is higher than the national average for primary schools. The school is clearly in demand — for the 2025/26 reception intake, it received 43 applications for just 15 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.87 to one. Of those applicants, 11 put the school as their first preference, and all 11 were offered a place. That level of competition suggests a strong local reputation, particularly among families who value a Church of England foundation. The school is led by headteacher Elizabeth Derham and was most recently inspected by Ofsted in May 2025, when it was judged to be maintaining the Good standards set in its previous graded inspection in 2020.

Academically, the school’s KS2 results for the 2023/24 academic year show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 61 per cent, just below the Lewisham local authority average of 64 per cent. Reading was a relative strength, with 89 per cent of pupils reaching the expected standard and 29 per cent achieving a higher score. Maths was more middling: 71 per cent at expected and 29 per cent at a higher level. Writing was weaker, with only 64 per cent at expected and 7 per cent at a higher level. The school’s average scaled scores were 106 in reading and 105 in maths. In the Lewisham primary rankings, it sits 38th out of 59 schools, placing it in the bottom half of the local authority. Nationally, it ranks in the 54th percentile among all primary schools for the combined expected standard metric.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including a sports hall, playing fields, an outdoor playground, art studios, a sensory room and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, football, cricket, netball, dance, cross country and swimming, while clubs include book club, drama, science club, choir, art club and eco club. The school has identified SEND support for specific learning difficulties (dyslexia), social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent views, based on 31 responses collected between September 2024 and September 2025, were generally positive: 81 per cent would recommend the school, and 91 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy. However, 19 per cent would not recommend it, and concerns about how issues are dealt with drew a mixed response — 35 per cent strongly agreed concerns are handled properly, but 13 per cent disagreed and 6 per cent strongly disagreed. This is a school that suits families who value a Church of England ethos, a strong sense of community, and a broad range of activities, but who are comfortable with a school that is academically solid rather than top of the local league tables.

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