John Donne Primary School, London
John Donne Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in London, part of Nexus Education Schools Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 769th-highest of the 959 schools in London with published results, and 8,618th of 14,452 across England. It was 89% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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 27 Oct 2026
John Donne Primary School in detail
John Donne Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to John Donne Primary School, a diverse and vibrant school in the heart of Peckham. We appreciate you taking the time to find out about us and our school."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include gymnastics, multi-sports, dance, cooking and art.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at John Donne Primary 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 were similar in 2024 (74% in reading, 79% in maths).
Getting a place at John Donne Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 43 families put John Donne Primary School as their first choice and 91 named it as one of their preferences, for 44 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at John Donne Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to John Donne Primary School are Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park (0.3 miles, Good, 81% reading, 79% maths); Kender Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 73% reading, 82% maths); St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 82% reading, 82% maths); and Bird In Bush School (0.5 miles, Good, 80% reading, 76% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than John Donne Primary School.
Harris Primary Academy Peckham ParkKender Primary SchoolSt James the Great Roman Catholic Primary SchoolBird In Bush School
The trust
John Donne Primary School is one of 20 schools run by Nexus Education Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
56.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 58.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (46%), Mixed (20%) and White British (11%).
In 2026, 40 pupils (9.9%) received SEN support and 17 (4.2%) 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 Rail Station, about 280 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Carlton Grove, 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood John Donne Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
John Donne Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to John Donne Primary School are The St Thomas the Apostle College (0.3 miles) and Harris Academy Peckham (0.6 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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
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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
56.8%
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 remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 84% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.6
Avg class size
25.8
Infant (KS1)
27.3
KS2
14
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with John Donne Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near John Donne Primary School.
- Ultimate Sports LtdAt the school · Not yet graded
- Junior Adventures Group @ Peckham SE15650m away · Not yet graded
- Infinite Jest Theatre Company Limited St Mary Magdalene Community Centre650m away · Not yet graded
- Ultimate Sports Club Ltd830m away · Not yet graded
- Kumon Peckham830m away · Not yet graded
- Magna Extended Schools at St Francis Primary school880m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
John Donne Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Southwark's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to John Donne Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. John Donne 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
- 219
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 39
- Children hurt
- 14
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 219 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 39 serious and 179 slight.
14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise.
41 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 John Donne Primary School
Will you get a place at John Donne Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against John Donne Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for John Donne Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to John Donne Primary School.
- Southwark publishes last distance offered figures, but none for John Donne Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at John Donne 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
89%
Available places
374 pupils
420 places
46 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
40
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
14.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
405
Total Pupils
216
Boys
189
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
18.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,941
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,258
Per pupil
£3178k
Total funding
£308k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
12.7%
Persistent absence
332
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
John Donne Primary School
Questions parents ask about John Donne Primary School
What are SATs results like at John Donne Primary School?
Of the pupils at John Donne Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is John Donne Primary School's Ofsted rating?
John Donne Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2011 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for John Donne Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When John Donne Primary 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 John Donne Primary School?
John Donne Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 89% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at John Donne Primary School?
Classes at John Donne Primary School average 26.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to John Donne Primary School?
John Donne Primary School has around 405 pupils on roll. 57% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at John Donne Primary School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at John Donne Primary School in 2024/25. 12.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to John Donne Primary School?
Apply through Southwark's coordinated admissions process, naming John Donne 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 John Donne Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Ultimate Sports Ltd (registered, not yet graded). There are 5 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near John Donne Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 219 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 39 serious and 179 slight. 14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise. 41 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 John Donne Primary School?
John Donne Primary School is at Woods Road, London, SE15 2SW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)