The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overie

About The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overie

The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overie sits within Southwark, a London borough with 67 primary schools, of which 17 hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. This Church of England primary is one of the strongest performers in the local authority, ranking second out of 60 schools on the key stage 2 expected standard measure, placing it in the top five per cent locally. Its closest Outstanding neighbour is Charles Dickens Primary School, just 0.3 kilometres away, while the top-ranked peer in the LA is Boutcher Church of England Primary School, followed by Riverside Primary School and Crampton Primary. The school is led by headteacher Filiz Scott and caters for 219 pupils aged three to eleven, operating slightly above its official capacity of 210. With a nursery provision on site and a religious character that shapes its identity, it draws families from across the area who value strong academic outcomes within a faith-based setting.

Academically, the school’s most recent published results from the 2023/24 academic year are striking. Ninety-two per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the Southwark local authority average of 68 per cent. At the higher standard, 32 per cent of pupils achieved that same combined benchmark. In individual subjects, 96 per cent reached the expected level in both maths and writing, while 92 per cent did so in reading. The average scaled scores were 111 in maths and 110 in reading, comfortably above the national average of 100. The school’s Ofsted inspection in December 2022 awarded Outstanding across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This continues a strong track record, as the previous inspection in 2008 also rated overall effectiveness as Outstanding. The school does not have a sixth form, and its focus remains firmly on primary education.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it offered 30 places and received 122 applications, a ratio of over four applicants per place, with 35 first-preference applications resulting in 26 offers. Facilities include a library, sensory room, gymnasium, playing fields, sports hall, music rooms, forest school and a chapel. Sports on offer include netball, football, cricket, athletics, tennis, cross country and rounders, while clubs range from coding and eco club to chess, film club and drama. The school’s SEND provisions cover a broad spectrum, including support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 20.9 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. This is a strong choice for families seeking a high-performing, oversubscribed primary with a clear Church of England ethos, excellent academic results and a wide range of enrichment activities.

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