Skip to main content

Michael Faraday School, London

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 3–11

Michael Faraday School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in London. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 791st-highest of the 959 schools in London with published results, and 8,950th of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.

SATs results
In line with England
Ofsted
Good (2014)
Demand
Every first choice offered
Attendance
Below England average
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

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

Michael Faraday School in detail

Michael Faraday School in its own words

In its own words: "Please note that there is a different procedure for admission to the Nursery, the Reception class and In Year Admissions."

The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care, from £5 per day.

Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)

Source: The school's own website

Results

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at Michael Faraday 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 71% in reading and 61% in maths in 2024.

Getting a place at Michael Faraday School

For September 2026 entry, 44 families put Michael Faraday School as their first choice and 134 named it as one of their preferences, for 50 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 Michael Faraday School

Compared with nearby schools

The nearest other state primary schools to Michael Faraday School are St Peter's Church of England Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 89% reading, 84% maths); Robert Browning Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 57% reading, 46% maths); Oasis Academy Surrey Square (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 80% reading, 83% maths); and English Martyrs' Roman Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 82% reading, 88% maths).

Michael Faraday School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolRobert Browning Primary SchoolOasis Academy Surrey SquareEnglish Martyrs' Roman Catholic Primary School

Who goes there

38.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 56.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Black (21%), White British (14%) and Mixed (9%).

In 2026, 107 pupils (24.9%) received SEN support and 9 (2.1%) 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 Elephant & Castle Rail Station, about 1190 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Albany Road / Wells Way, 240 metres away.

The area around the school

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Michael Faraday 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

In 2024/25, Michael Faraday School issued 13 suspensions, 3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

Secondary schools nearby

The secondary schools closest to Michael Faraday School are South Bank University Academy (0.2 miles), Ark Walworth Academy (0.4 miles) and St Saviour's and St Olave's Church of England School (0.7 miles).

South Bank University AcademyArk Walworth AcademySt Saviour's and St Olave's Church of England School

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); 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 GIAS
Head:Ms Riana Gouws
Pupils:429
LA:Southwark
Phone:02077035806
Address:Portland Street, Walworth, London, SE17 2HR
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 2 years ago

This judgement is from October 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.

Inspected 12 June 2024View full report
URN:100803
UKPRN:10074609
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Peckham
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report.

What This School Does Well

Michael Faraday School creates a caring, happy community where pupils develop strong learning habits and positive attitudes. The school excels at teaching reading through daily structured phonics lessons and carefully selected books, while weaving the local community's diversity into subjects like history. Pupils benefit from a rich range of experiences including residential trips, museum visits, and enrichment clubs, preparing them well for secondary school.

Key Strengths

  • Well-developed, ambitious curriculum that weaves in local context and diversity, with clear knowledge and vocabulary goals
  • Strong reading programme using structured phonics with daily lessons and carefully chosen books that complement learning across subjects
  • Clear assessment approaches and strategies to help pupils remember key knowledge, such as history quizzes and 'Big Ideas' sheets
  • Supportive relationships between staff and pupils with excellent behaviour and rare disruption in lessons
  • Wide range of enrichment activities including museum visits, Parliament trips, and residential adventures like surfing in Cornwall

Areas for Improvement

  • Recent curriculum changes mean some pupils have not yet developed the full body of knowledge expected in certain subjects
  • Teaching expertise in delivering the new curriculum is not consistently strong across all subjects, leading to gaps in some pupils' knowledge and skills
  • Some pupils struggle to recall previously learned knowledge and skills over the long term

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with clear systems in place and governors understanding their specific safeguarding roles.

Extracurricular Activities

brass band, knitting and crochet, sports events, arts events, British Museum visits, Houses of Parliament visits, residential surfing trips in Cornwall

Michael Faraday School continues to be a good school where pupils are well-mannered, respectful, and achieve positive outcomes in their learning. The school has high aspirations for pupils' academic and personal development, and creates a happy community where people care about each other.

At a Glance

38.7%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2024/25

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
ReadingMaths+15ppWriting-2pp

Reading has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 61% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025).

Class Sizes

28.0

Avg class size

27.5

Infant (KS1)

28.3

KS2

13

Total classes

2025/26 academic year

How Does This School Compare?

Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools

See peer comparison with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Keep up with Michael Faraday School

Before and after school care

Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Michael Faraday School.

  • Walworth After-School Club450m away · Not yet graded
  • Burgess Sports540m away · Not yet graded
  • Little Learners London Childcare Limited730m away · Not yet graded
  • Bethwin Road Playground750m away · Not yet graded
  • The Lighthouse Club at St. John's800m away · Not yet graded
  • ABC at St Georges Primary School810m away · Not yet graded

Term dates

Michael Faraday 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)

Source: Southwark term dates

Getting There

Bus Stops

Albany Road / Wells Way (Stop O)
244m · 4 min walk
Portland Street (Stop Q)
252m · 4 min walk
Alsace Road (Stop A)
330m · 5 min walk
Westmoreland Road (Stop K)
367m · 6 min walk
St George's Way / Burgess Park (Stop X)
372m · 6 min walk

Free school transport

Check free transport to Michael Faraday School from your postcode →

You apply to the council where you live. Michael Faraday School is in Southwark; for families living there:

Safety and surroundings

Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)

Collisions
132
Fatal
0
Serious
29
Children hurt
6

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 132 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 29 serious and 103 slight.

6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.

20 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.

Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute and house prices

See commute times and house prices with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Your chances of a place at Michael Faraday School

Will you get a place at Michael Faraday School? Get the admissions report

Your home postcode, set against Michael Faraday School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.

What the report includes for Michael Faraday School:

  • The straight-line distance from your home to Michael Faraday School.
  • Southwark publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Michael Faraday School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
  • Applications, first choices and offers at Michael Faraday 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.

£9.99 once

One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.

Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time

A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

93%

Near capacity

389 pupils

420 places

31 spare places in 2025

2025, DfE school capacity data

Area Demand Pressure - London

Low pressure
New homes approved:114,409
Projected new pupils:28,602

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London

Across Southwark council

Low demand council-wide0.72 applications per place

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(6)

12 June 2024

Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.

25 September 2018
16 October 2014
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood

SEND & SEN Provision

SEN Overview

107

SEN Support

9

EHC Plans

27.0%

of Total Pupils

2026 academic year

Provision & Specialist Facilities

No specialist provision recorded

Pupils by Need Type

Speech, Language & Communication44
Social, Emotional & Mental Health30
Autistic Spectrum Disorder20
Other8
Specific Learning Difficulty7
Hearing Impairment4
EHC Plan
SEN Support

Pupil Demographics

Ethnicity

White British
14.0%
Asian
8.4%
Black
20.8%
Mixed
9.3%
Chinese
2.3%
Other
7.0%
Unclassified
32.2%

2026 academic year

Key Indicators

Free School Meals38.7%
English as Additional Language56.9%

429

Total Pupils

203

Boys

226

Girls

2026 academic year

Workforce

24

Teachers

17.9:1

Pupil-teacher ratio

£57,789

Mean salary

2026 data

School Funding

£7,471

Per pupil

£3326k

Total funding

£223k

Pupil premium

Deprivation£479,813
EAL funding£69,276
Lump sum£190,342

2025-26 financial year allocations

Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.4%

Overall absence

19.3%

Persistent absence

352

Enrolments

Authorised5.2%
Unauthorised1.2%
Persistent (10%+)19.3%
Severe (50%+)2.0%

Absence trend

4.6%
18/19
4.0%
20/21
6.8%
21/22
7.4%
22/23
5.8%
23/24
6.4%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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 Michael Faraday School

What are SATs results like at Michael Faraday School?

Of the pupils at Michael Faraday School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.

What is Michael Faraday School's Ofsted rating?

Michael Faraday School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2014, it was rated Good.

What is the catchment area for Michael Faraday School?

No fixed boundary. When Michael Faraday 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 Michael Faraday School?

Michael Faraday School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 420 places.

How big are the classes at Michael Faraday School?

Classes at Michael Faraday School average 28 pupils (2025/26).

How many pupils go to Michael Faraday School?

Michael Faraday School has around 429 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.

What is attendance like at Michael Faraday School?

6.4% of sessions were missed at Michael Faraday School in 2024/25. 19.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).

How do I apply to Michael Faraday School?

Apply through Southwark's coordinated admissions process, naming Michael Faraday 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 Michael Faraday School have a breakfast club or after-school club?

Ofsted's childcare register lists 6 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Michael Faraday School: Walworth After-School Club (450m away, registered, not yet graded), Burgess Sports (540m away, registered, not yet graded) and Little Learners London Childcare Limited (730m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.

What are Michael Faraday School's term dates?

Michael Faraday 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 Michael Faraday School?

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 132 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 29 serious and 103 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 20 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 Michael Faraday School?

Michael Faraday School is at Portland Street, Walworth, London, SE17 2HR.

Sources: Southwark term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)

Work here? Claim this profile free