Horniman Primary School, London
Horniman Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in London. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 351st-highest of the 959 schools in London with published results, and 2,822nd of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.6 first-choice applications for every place. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- 1.6 first choices per place
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lewisham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Horniman Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 96% of Year 6 pupils at Horniman Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 80% and 78% in Lewisham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 85% in reading and 81% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Horniman Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 47 families put Horniman Primary School as their first choice and 171 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.6 first choices for every place. 19 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Horniman Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Horniman Primary School are Fairlawn Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 88% reading, 88% maths); Eliot Bank Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 93% reading, 91% maths); St George's CofE Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 89% reading, 79% maths); and Goodrich Community Primary School (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, 89% reading, 72% maths).
Horniman Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Fairlawn Primary SchoolEliot Bank Primary SchoolSt George's CofE Primary SchoolGoodrich Community Primary School
Who goes there
10.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 32 pupils (15.9%) received SEN support and 13 (6.5%) 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.
Staffing
Horniman Primary School had 13 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Forest Hill Station, about 600 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ewelme Road, 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 396 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 Lewisham (671).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Horniman Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Horniman Primary School are Allenby Tutorial Trust (0.5 miles), Sydenham School (0.7 miles), Sydenham and Forest Hill Sixth Form (0.7 miles) and Harris Boys' Academy East Dulwich (1 mile).
Allenby Tutorial TrustSydenham SchoolSydenham and Forest Hill Sixth FormHarris 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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from February 2014, 12 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
From Ofsted's December 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Horniman Primary School is a welcoming, happy place where children love to come to school each day. The school excels at teaching reading through a well-structured phonics programme, and pupils achieve particularly well in reading and mathematics. Staff work hard to make learning engaging through enrichment activities, community links, and a carefully planned curriculum that ensures children build knowledge and skills progressively over time.
Key Strengths
- Excellent phonics teaching with structured approach - pupils develop a genuine love of reading and catch up quickly if they fall behind
- Strong behaviour and attendance - pupils are polite, respectful, and engage well in lessons with rare disruptions
- Coherent, carefully designed curriculum that builds knowledge progressively from early years through Year 6
- Wide range of popular after-school clubs and enrichment activities accessible to all pupils including those with SEND
- Effective support for pupils with SEND who benefit from well-adapted teaching and achieve well
Areas for Improvement
- In a few subjects, the important knowledge and skills pupils need to learn have not been clearly identified, limiting depth of understanding
- Some learning resources are not effective enough in supporting pupils to develop secure understanding of new concepts
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils feeling safe and confident to speak up about concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
After-school clubs, theatre performances, visits to museums and galleries, local creek observations, community charity events, pupil parliament activities
Horniman Primary School is a good school where pupils are happy, feel safe, and achieve well particularly in reading and mathematics. The school provides a rich curriculum with high expectations and strong community engagement.
At a Glance
10.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 85% to 96% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 81% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 81% to 88% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.7
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Horniman Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Horniman Primary School.
- Kumon Forest Hill510m away · Not yet graded
- Twinkle Stars ASC510m away · Not yet graded
- The Young Explorers Club at St. George's Primary School710m away · Not yet graded
- Camp Olympia Cabrini Campus710m away · Not yet graded
- Exam Success Education Centre870m away · Not yet graded
- Global Camps960m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Horniman Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Lewisham. 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 Horniman Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Horniman Primary School is in Lewisham; for families living there:
Apply to Lewisham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 80
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 18
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 80 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 18 serious and 62 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
11 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 Lewisham is 75 (the median across 98 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 Horniman Primary School
Will you get a place at Horniman Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Horniman Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Horniman Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Horniman Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lewisham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Horniman Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lewisham 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
98%
Near capacity
206 pupils
210 places
4 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 Lewisham council
Places available
3,323
Applications
2,840
Got 1st preference
87.4%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All primary applications across Lewisham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: 1.6 first choices per place
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
32
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
22.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
201
Total Pupils
108
Boys
93
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
15.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,781
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,360
Per pupil
£1383k
Total funding
£30k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
12.2%
Persistent absence
181
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 Horniman Primary School
What are SATs results like at Horniman Primary School?
Of the pupils at Horniman Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 96% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is Horniman Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Horniman Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Horniman Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Horniman Primary School is oversubscribed, Lewisham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Horniman Primary School?
Horniman Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Horniman Primary School?
Classes at Horniman Primary School average 28.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Horniman Primary School?
Horniman Primary School has around 201 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Horniman Primary School?
5.5% of sessions were missed at Horniman Primary School in 2024/25. 12.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Horniman Primary School?
Apply through Lewisham's coordinated admissions process, naming Horniman 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 Horniman Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 6 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Horniman Primary School: Kumon Forest Hill (510m away, registered, not yet graded), Twinkle Stars ASC (510m away, registered, not yet graded) and The Young Explorers Club at St. George's Primary School (710m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Horniman Primary School's term dates?
Horniman Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Lewisham. 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 Horniman Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 80 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 18 serious and 62 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 11 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 Lewisham is 75 (the median across 98 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Horniman Primary School?
Horniman Primary School is at Horniman Drive, London, SE23 3BP.
Sources: Lewisham term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)