Pelham Primary School, Bexleyheath

Good
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~400m)Possible (~572m)Unlikely (~744m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Ms Cara Took
Pupils:394 / 446 capacity
LA:Bexley
Phone:02083036556
Address:Pelham Road, Bexleyheath, DA7 4HL
Trust:ILLUMINATE MINDS TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 April 2013

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Outstanding

Early Years

Inspected 7 May 2025View full report
URN:139494
UKPRN:10040974
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Bexleyheath and Crayford
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Pelham Primary School creates a warm, inclusive environment where children thrive. The school excels at early years education, giving young children a flying start, and has excellent phonics teaching that gets pupils reading fluently. The school is particularly impressive in supporting children with additional needs, including deaf pupils, and offers a wide range of clubs and trips to develop every child's talents and interests.

Key Strengths

  • Excellent early years provision with clear routines and purposeful learning activities - children settle quickly and are well prepared for the next stage
  • Strong teaching of reading with high-quality phonics instruction, exciting library provision, and quick support for struggling readers
  • Ambitious support for pupils with SEND, including a specially resourced provision for deaf pupils where British Sign Language is used throughout the school
  • Broad curriculum with thoughtfully designed enrichment activities including museum visits, workshops, and a wide range of clubs
  • Positive behaviour promoted in a calm, supportive environment where pupils learn to manage emotions and make good choices

Areas for Improvement

  • Limited opportunities for pupils in Years 1 to 6 to practise and consolidate their learning in sufficient depth before moving on to new topics
  • In some foundation subjects, teaching does not provide enough practice opportunities for pupils to secure and remember important knowledge

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.

Extracurricular Activities

Coding, cricket, board games, cinema, author visits, book fairs, reading with dog mentors, museum trips, local landmark visits, workshops on Vikings and the environment, virtual reality activities, breakfast clubs, after-school clubs, Pelham Passport (50 things to experience)

Pelham Primary School is a warm and welcoming school where pupils behave sensibly, feel happy and safe, and achieve well particularly in English and mathematics. The early years provision is outstanding, with children settling quickly and receiving a strong foundation for their learning.

At a Glance

18.9%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

HI - Hearing Impairment

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

120 responses
Would recommend78%
Child is happy90%
Well taught84%
Good progress80%
Feels safe93%
Well behaved80%
Bullying dealt with23%
Kept informed82%
Handles concerns59%
Wider development71%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-11ppMaths-6ppWriting+16pp

Reading has declined from 87% to 76%. Maths has declined from 82% to 76%. Writing has improved from 62% to 78%.

Class Sizes

27.4

Avg class size

25.8

Infant (KS1)

28.8

KS2

15

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Tower Road (Stop NQ)
184m · 3 min walk
Pelham Road (Stop NE)
185m · 3 min walk
Foresters Crescent (Stop NG)
215m · 3 min walk
Market Place Bexleyheath (Stop TB)
232m · 4 min walk
Geddes Place (->W)
259m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

88%

Available places

394 pupils

446 capacity

52 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Bexleyheath

Low pressure
New homes approved:460
Projected new pupils:115

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bexleyheath

Admissions Demand - Bexley

Low demand0.85x oversubscription

Places available

3,225

Applications

2,734

Got 1st preference

92.3%

Got preferred school

99.2%

Primary admissions across Bexley (2025/26)

Inspection History(5)

7 May 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsOutstanding
26 November 2019
28 January 2016

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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

5.31176%

Overall absence

16.26016%

Persistent absence

369

Enrolments

Authorised3.25473%
Unauthorised2.05703%
Persistent (10%+)16.26016%
Severe (50%+)0.54201%

Absence trend

4.21449%
18/19
3.61944%
20/21
6.65372%
21/22
6.15362%
22/23
5.52343%
23/24
5.31176%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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