Buttercup Primary School, London
Buttercup Primary School is an independent school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in London. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2024.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Buttercup Primary School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Buttercup Primary School are Daffodil Preparatory School (under 0.1 miles); Madani Secondary Girls' School (0.1 miles, Good); Jamiatul Ummah School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, selective); and Date Palm Primary (0.2 miles, Outstanding).
Daffodil Preparatory SchoolMadani Secondary Girls' SchoolJamiatul Ummah SchoolDate Palm Primary
What parents say
18 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Buttercup Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 5 pupils (3.8%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest DLR station is Shadwell DLR Station, about 470 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Commercial Road, 20 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Buttercup Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school provides an ambitious, inclusive education where pupils behave well and feel safe. It prioritises reading and early years learning, ensuring strong foundations in these areas. The school is genuinely committed to broadening pupils' horizons through enriching experiences like university visits and residential trips, with fair access for all pupils regardless of background.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics teaching and reading support, with pupils becoming confident and fluent readers
- Excellent behaviour and attendance, with pupils treated respectfully and feeling safe
- Ambitious approach to personal development with visits to universities, museums, and residential trips that broaden pupils' horizons
- Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and those joining mid-year
- Early years provision is good with children building secure knowledge and skills
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers lack subject expertise to teach the wider curriculum (subjects beyond English and maths) effectively
- No consistent approach to checking what pupils have learned in most subjects, leading to gaps and misconceptions going unaddressed
- Pupils do not develop the same depth of learning in most subjects as they do in English and mathematics
- Staff are not sufficiently supported or trained to implement the full curriculum as intended
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with appropriate support and oversight in place.
Extracurricular Activities
Calm club at breaktimes, educational visits to universities and museums, residential stay for Years 5 and 6, mental health ambassador programme, external speakers from police and fire service
Buttercup Primary School requires improvement overall, though it has made progress from its previous inadequate rating. The school excels in English, mathematics, and early years provision, but teaching quality varies across other subjects.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
18 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Buttercup Primary School
Voting at Buttercup
5 Oct 2026
World Smile Day at Buttercup
5 Oct 2026
Road safety workshop
1 Oct 2026
PCSO Visit
1 Oct 2026
Year 5 and 6 Junior Citizenship Scheme
1 Oct 2026
School Council Elections
1 Oct 2026
From Buttercup Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Buttercup Primary School
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 462
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 70
- Children hurt
- 14
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 462 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 70 serious and 391 slight.
14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 11 on foot and 3 on a bicycle.
76 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 Tower Hamlets is 231 (the median across 115 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
81%
Available places
130 pupils
160 places
30 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Tower Hamlets council
Places available
3,059
Applications
2,716
Got 1st preference
79.1%
Got preferred school
96.6%
All secondary applications across Tower Hamlets council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
Independent School standard inspection
Met all the independent school standards.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
5
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
3.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
130
Total Pupils
78
Boys
52
Girls
2026 academic year
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Questions parents ask about Buttercup Primary School
What is Buttercup Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Buttercup Primary School was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2024.
Does Buttercup Primary School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in December 2024, Buttercup Primary School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Buttercup Primary School?
Buttercup Primary School has around 130 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Buttercup Primary School?
Buttercup Primary School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Buttercup Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 462 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 70 serious and 391 slight. 14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 11 on foot and 3 on a bicycle. 76 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 Tower Hamlets is 231 (the median across 115 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Buttercup Primary School?
Buttercup Primary School is at 181 Cannon Street Road, London, E1 2LX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)