Bird In Bush School, Peckham
Bird In Bush School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Peckham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 40th-highest of the 63 schools in Southwark with published results, and 6,834th of 14,452 across England. It was 76% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Southwark (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bird In Bush School in detail
Bird In Bush School in its own words
In its own words: "Bird in Bush Primary School is a thriving learning environment at the heart of our community, providing excellent education enabling each pupil to progress and achieve their best. We encourage creativity, individuality, innovation and enjoyment of education and lifelong learning with a broad, balanced curriculum and a range of extra-curricular activities."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Bird In Bush School reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 80% in Southwark and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 75% in reading and 68% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Bird In Bush School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Bird In Bush School as their first choice and 54 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bird In Bush School are St Francis RC Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 72% reading, 66% maths); Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park (0.3 miles, Good, 81% reading, 79% maths); Pilgrims' Way Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 72% reading, 76% maths); and John Keats Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 67% reading, 50% maths).
Bird In Bush School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
St Francis RC Primary SchoolHarris Primary Academy Peckham ParkPilgrims' Way Primary SchoolJohn Keats Primary School
Who goes there
59.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 28.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (62%), other ethnic groups (10%) and Mixed (10%).
In 2026, 79 pupils (20.7%) received SEN support and 29 (7.6%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Queens Road Peckham Station, about 850 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Commercial Way Peckham, 210 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bird In Bush School issued 2 suspensions, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Bird In Bush School are City of London Academy (Southwark) (0.6 miles), Harris Academy Peckham (0.7 miles) and The St Thomas the Apostle College (0.7 miles).
City of London Academy (Southwark)Harris Academy PeckhamThe St Thomas the Apostle College
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); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Bird in Bush School excels at teaching reading through high-quality phonics training and a diverse range of texts that help pupils understand different cultures. The school is deeply committed to supporting all families facing challenges, offering free breakfast and after-school clubs, and providing enriching cultural trips. Parents greatly appreciate the school's focus on both academic learning and personal development.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with systematic phonics teaching and a diverse 'racial literacy' programme
- Broad and balanced curriculum across subjects including science, computing, music and art
- Effective support for pupils with SEND through clear identification systems and partnership working
- Good pupil behaviour and attendance with strong mentoring for vulnerable pupils
- Leaders have successfully brought two school communities together and created a welcoming environment
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects lack ambitious curriculum design with insufficient time for pupils to review and build on prior learning
- Teachers sometimes move too quickly without checking pupils have learned key content and vocabulary
- Early years provision does not adequately develop children's communication, language and mathematical thinking
- Young children in early years do not learn routines and follow instructions as well as they should
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong safeguarding culture and clear systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Free breakfast club, after-school club, free holiday clubs, violin lessons, ukulele lessons, museum trips, visits to places of worship, Kew Gardens, Barbican Centre
Bird in Bush School was formed from the merger of two schools at the start of the year and has created a harmonious, welcoming atmosphere with a culture of aspiration. The school is rated Good overall, though early years provision requires improvement.
At a Glance
59.6%
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 75% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 68% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 58% to 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.8
Avg class size
25.6
Infant (KS1)
27.6
KS2
13
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Bird In Bush School
Before and after school care
Bird In Bush 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 Bird In Bush School.
- Magna Extended Schools at St Francis Primary school200m away · Not yet graded
- Junior Adventures Group @ Peckham SE15850m away · Not yet graded
- Ultimate Sports Ltd890m away · Not yet graded
- Ultimate Sports Club Ltd950m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Bird In Bush 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bird In Bush School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bird In Bush 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
- 194
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 36
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 194 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 36 serious and 156 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
39 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 Bird In Bush School
Will you get a place at Bird In Bush School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bird In Bush School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bird In Bush School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bird In Bush School.
- Southwark publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Bird In Bush School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bird In Bush 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
76%
Available places
397 pupils
525 places
128 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Peckham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Peckham
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
79
SEN Support
29
EHC Plans
28.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
381
Total Pupils
179
Boys
202
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
16.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£60,000
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,455
Per pupil
£3488k
Total funding
£345k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
9.9%
Persistent absence
375
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
Bird In Bush School
Questions parents ask about Bird In Bush School
What are SATs results like at Bird In Bush School?
Of the pupils at Bird In Bush School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is Bird In Bush School's Ofsted rating?
Bird In Bush School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024.
What is the catchment area for Bird In Bush School?
No fixed boundary. When Bird In Bush School is oversubscribed, Southwark allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Bird In Bush School?
Bird In Bush School was not full in 2025: it ran at 76% of its 525 places.
How big are the classes at Bird In Bush School?
Classes at Bird In Bush School average 26.8 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Bird In Bush School?
Bird In Bush School has around 381 pupils on roll. 60% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bird In Bush School?
4% of sessions were missed at Bird In Bush School in 2024/25. 9.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bird In Bush School?
Apply through Southwark's coordinated admissions process, naming Bird In Bush 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 Bird In Bush School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Bird In Bush 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 4 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Bird In Bush School: Magna Extended Schools at St Francis Primary school (200m away, registered, not yet graded), Junior Adventures Group @ Peckham SE15 (850m away, registered, not yet graded) and Ultimate Sports Ltd (890m away, registered, not yet graded).
What are Bird In Bush School's term dates?
Bird In Bush 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 Bird In Bush School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 194 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 36 serious and 156 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 39 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 Bird In Bush School?
Bird In Bush School is at Bird-in-Bush School, Bird-in-Bush Road, Peckham, SE15 1QP.
Sources: Southwark term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)