Best Schools in Southwark

How many schools are there in Southwark?

Southwark has 122 open schools: 67 state primary, 20 state secondary or all-through, 8 independent, 18 special and 9 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Southwark are rated Outstanding?

25 schools in Southwark were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Beormund Primary School; Crampton Primary; Harris Girls' Academy East Dulwich; Redriff Primary, City of London Academy; Harris Boys' Academy East Dulwich; and 20 more. Counting Good as well, 97% of the 97 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Beormund Primary SchoolCrampton PrimaryHarris Girls' Academy East DulwichRedriff Primary, City of London AcademyHarris Boys' Academy East Dulwich

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Southwark get the best GCSE results?

Of the 21 schools in Southwark with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Charter School North Dulwich, with an Attainment 8 score of 62.5 and 72% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The St Thomas the Apostle College, with an Attainment 8 score of 61.8 and 74% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and St Michael's Catholic College, with an Attainment 8 score of 58.7 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Charter School North DulwichThe St Thomas the Apostle CollegeSt Michael's Catholic College

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Southwark have the best SATs results?

Of the 63 primary schools in Southwark with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough (100% in reading, 96% in maths); Boutcher Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 94% in maths); and St John's Roman Catholic Primary School (96% in reading, 96% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the BoroughBoutcher Church of England Primary SchoolSt John's Roman Catholic Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Southwark?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Southwark selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Southwark?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Southwark published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Alfred Salter Primary School, 1277 metres for 2026 entry; Bessemer Grange Primary School, 1012 metres for 2026 entry; Brunswick Park Primary School, 1052 metres for 2026 entry; Crampton Primary, 355 metres for 2026 entry; Heber Primary School, 321 metres for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 7 schools in Southwark; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Alfred Salter Primary SchoolBessemer Grange Primary SchoolBrunswick Park Primary SchoolCrampton PrimaryHeber Primary School

Source: Southwark admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Southwark?

Apply to Southwark through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.