Bessemer Grange Primary School, London
Bessemer Grange Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in London. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 246th-highest of the 959 schools in London with published results, and 1,876th of 14,452 across England. It was 71% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Southwark (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bessemer Grange Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils at Bessemer Grange Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 88% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 80% in Southwark and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 82% in reading and 86% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Bessemer Grange Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 51 families put Bessemer Grange Primary School as their first choice and 216 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Bessemer Grange Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bessemer Grange Primary School are Dulwich Village Church of England Infants' School (0.5 miles, Outstanding); Goose Green Primary and Nursery School (0.5 miles, Good, 72% reading, 69% maths); Judith Kerr Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 100% reading, 89% maths); and Grove Primary School (0.5 miles, 64% reading, 71% maths).
Bessemer Grange Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Dulwich Village Church of England Infants' SchoolGoose Green Primary and Nursery SchoolJudith Kerr Primary SchoolGrove Primary School
Who goes there
In 2026, 58 pupils (11.3%) received SEN support and 12 (2.3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is North Dulwich Rail Station, about 480 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sunray Avenue, 230 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 749 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Southwark (1438).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bessemer Grange Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 0.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Bessemer Grange Primary School are The Charter School North Dulwich (0.2 miles), The Charter School East Dulwich (0.3 miles), Ark Evelyn Grace Academy (0.8 miles) and Harris Boys' Academy East Dulwich (0.9 miles).
The Charter School North DulwichThe Charter School East DulwichArk Evelyn Grace AcademyHarris Boys' Academy East Dulwich
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Southwark published that the last place for 2026 entry went to a family 1,012 metres away (straight line). The cut-off moves every year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2015 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
27.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 82% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 88% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.9
Avg class size
25.1
Infant (KS1)
26.2
KS2
19
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Bessemer Grange Primary School
Before and after school care
Bessemer Grange Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Southwark
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Bessemer Grange Primary School.
- The Strings Club - Dulwich Holiday Camp (James Allen's Girls' School)380m away · Not yet graded
- Youngstars After School Club @ Herne Hill United Church390m away · Not yet graded
- The Strings Club - Dulwich Holiday Camp (The Charter School)490m away · Not yet graded
- Stagecoach Dulwich540m away · Not yet graded
- Alleyn's Holiday Camp540m away · Not yet graded
- art-K Dulwich540m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Bessemer Grange Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Southwark. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bessemer Grange Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bessemer Grange Primary School is in Southwark; for families living there:
- Southwark's school travel policy: travel assistance policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 37
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 37 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 31 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Southwark is 154.5 (the median across 122 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Bessemer Grange Primary School
Will you get a place at Bessemer Grange Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bessemer Grange Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bessemer Grange Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bessemer Grange Primary School.
- Last distance offered for 2026 entry, from Southwark's own figures, and how your distance compares each year.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bessemer Grange Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Southwark got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
71%
Available places
447 pupils
630 places
183 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Southwark council
Places available
3,137
Applications
2,248
Got 1st preference
84.3%
Got preferred school
98.0%
All primary applications across Southwark council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
58
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
13.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
515
Total Pupils
289
Boys
226
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
27
Teachers
19.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£63,109
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,795
Per pupil
£3377k
Total funding
£180k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
11.5%
Persistent absence
407
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Bessemer Grange Primary School
What are SATs results like at Bessemer Grange Primary School?
Of the pupils at Bessemer Grange Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 90% reached the expected standard in reading and 88% did so in maths.
What is Bessemer Grange Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Bessemer Grange Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2015, it was rated Good.
How close to Bessemer Grange Primary School do you need to live?
Southwark published for September 2026 entry that the last place offered at Bessemer Grange Primary School on distance went to a family 1012 metres away. This is the authority's own figure for one year, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications, so treat it as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Is it hard to get a place at Bessemer Grange Primary School?
Bessemer Grange Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 71% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at Bessemer Grange Primary School?
Classes at Bessemer Grange Primary School average 25.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Bessemer Grange Primary School?
Bessemer Grange Primary School has around 515 pupils on roll. 27% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bessemer Grange Primary School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Bessemer Grange Primary School in 2024/25. 11.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bessemer Grange Primary School?
Apply through Southwark's coordinated admissions process, naming Bessemer Grange Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Bessemer Grange Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Bessemer Grange Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists 6 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Bessemer Grange Primary School: The Strings Club - Dulwich Holiday Camp (James Allen's Girls' School) (380m away, registered, not yet graded), Youngstars After School Club @ Herne Hill United Church (390m away, registered, not yet graded) and The Strings Club - Dulwich Holiday Camp (The Charter School) (490m away, registered, not yet graded).
What are Bessemer Grange Primary School's term dates?
Bessemer Grange Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Southwark. In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Bessemer Grange Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 37 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 31 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Southwark is 154.5 (the median across 122 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bessemer Grange Primary School?
Bessemer Grange Primary School is at Dylways, London, SE5 8HP.
Sources: Southwark admissions booklet; Southwark term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)