John Scurr Primary School, London

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 211

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~334m)Possible (~477m)Unlikely (~620m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Ms Maria Lewington
Pupils:494 / 485 capacity
LA:Tower Hamlets
Phone:02077903647
Address:Cephas Street, Stepney Green, London, E1 4AX
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:100906
UKPRN:10074594
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Bethnal Green and Stepney
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

John Scurr Primary School excels at supporting all learners, particularly those with additional needs or from disadvantaged backgrounds. The school creates a welcoming, caring community where pupils feel safe and behave well. Teaching is consistently good across literacy and numeracy, with especially strong results in writing.

Key Strengths

  • Standards in writing are well above national average and mathematics is in line with national average
  • Effective support systems mean pupils with special educational needs, English as additional language learners, and disadvantaged pupils all make good progress
  • Strong personal, spiritual, moral and cultural development creates a caring, cohesive school community where pupils feel safe
  • Rigorous systems track pupil progress consistently across the school
  • High-quality training and support for all staff including newly qualified teachers

Areas for Improvement

  • Reading standards in Key Stage 2 are below national average, particularly for more able pupils
  • Marking is inconsistent and doesn't always show pupils how to improve their work
  • Not enough teaching is outstanding
  • Middle leaders need greater involvement in monitoring teaching quality in their subjects
  • Pupils' presentation of work is sometimes poor

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective - the governing body robustly holds the school to account for safeguarding alongside performance management and finances.

John Scurr Primary School is a good school where the headteacher and senior leaders have successfully improved teaching quality and raised pupil achievement. The school demonstrates strong capacity for further improvement.

At a Glance

42.4%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-1ppMaths+4ppWriting+6pp

Reading has remained stable at around 85%. Maths has improved from 85% to 89%. Writing has improved from 73% to 79%.

Class Sizes

23.0

Avg class size

2

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Bethnal Green Rail Station (Entrance)
526m · 9 min walk
Whitechapel Station (Entrance)
567m · 9 min walk
Whitechapel Rail Station
588m · 10 min walk

Tube / Metro / Tram

Stepney Green Underground Station
383m · 6 min walk
Stepney Green Station
404m · 7 min walk
Bethnal Green Underground Station
567m · 9 min walk

Bus Stops

Stepney Green (Stop A)
162m · 3 min walk
Cephas Street (Stop P)
200m · 3 min walk
Booth Memorial (Stop S)
203m · 3 min walk
Darling Row (Stop M)
246m · 4 min walk
Sidney Street (Stop F)
318m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

102%

Over capacity

494 pupils

485 capacity

9 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - London

Low pressure
New homes approved:104,823
Projected new pupils:26,206

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for London

Admissions Demand - Tower Hamlets

Low demand0.84x oversubscription

Places available

3,480

Applications

2,918

Got 1st preference

92.3%

Got preferred school

97.9%

Primary admissions across Tower Hamlets (2025/26)

Inspection History(109)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.72384%

Overall absence

16.90544%

Persistent absence

349

Enrolments

Authorised4.5034%
Unauthorised1.22044%
Persistent (10%+)16.90544%
Severe (50%+)0.28653%

Absence trend

3.3633%
18/19
2.54447%
20/21
5.71712%
21/22
6.42934%
22/23
5.01048%
23/24
5.72384%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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