Poplar Primary School, London
Poplar Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in London. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 406th-highest of the 959 schools in London with published results, and 3,408th of 14,452 across England. It was 90% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Merton (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Poplar Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at Poplar Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 88% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 85% and 83% in Merton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 91% in reading and 89% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Poplar Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 50 families put Poplar Primary School as their first choice and 171 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Poplar Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Poplar Primary School are Merton Park Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 96% reading, 96% maths); Park Academy (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 94% reading, 94% maths); Abbotsbury Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 69% reading, 85% maths); and Hillcross Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 91% reading, 79% maths).
Poplar Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Merton Park Primary SchoolPark AcademyAbbotsbury Primary SchoolHillcross Primary School
What parents say
121 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Poplar Primary School (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 88% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (99%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (88%).
Who goes there
46% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (28%), White British (25%) and Mixed (15%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is South Merton, about 340 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Links Avenue (SM4), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Poplar Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Poplar Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Poplar Primary School are Rutlish School (0.5 miles), Harris Academy Wimbledon (0.9 miles) and Harris Academy Morden (1.2 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Poplar Primary School excels at making learning memorable and enjoyable. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and use creative methods - such as museum trips for World War II learning and outdoor activities like nature zones and a school allotment - to bring lessons to life. The school builds a warm, nurturing environment where children develop confidence, take on leadership roles, and feel genuinely happy attending school.
Key Strengths
- Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum with careful planning of what pupils learn and when
- Strong enrichment activities including trips, clubs, outdoor learning, and community partnerships that make learning memorable
- Effective phonics programme and reading support, with books as the backbone of the curriculum
- High academic ambitions for all pupils, including those with special needs, with precise identification of needs
- Pupils feel happy, safe, well-behaved and motivated to learn
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers do not routinely check that pupils have understood content before moving on to more challenging ideas
- Pupils do not have regular opportunities to reflect on or act on feedback from teachers to help secure their knowledge
- Some younger pupils need reminders about behaviour and physical play at social times
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders committed to safeguarding and creating an open culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, eco-council, digital leaders, reading champions, house captains, trips to museums and central London, clubs, workshops, visitors and authors, competitions, charity drives, farmers' market, tree planting, visits to places of worship, nature zone activities, outdoor curriculum
Poplar Primary School has maintained its good standards since the previous inspection. The school is driven by a mission for pupils to be 'ready, respectful and safe', with a broad, enriched curriculum and strong community ethos.
At a Glance
19.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
121 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 91% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 88% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.7
Avg class size
24.4
Infant (KS1)
27.7
KS2
23
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Poplar Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Poplar Primary School.
- Stagecoach Merton Park710m away · Not yet graded
- Home Away @Abbotsbury850m away · Not yet graded
- Hall at St George's Church890m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Poplar Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Merton. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
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
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Poplar Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Poplar Primary School is in Merton; for families living there:
Apply to Merton for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 69
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 15
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 69 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 15 serious and 54 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
14 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 Merton is 48.5 (the median across 74 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 Poplar Primary School
Will you get a place at Poplar Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Poplar Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Poplar Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Poplar Primary School.
- Merton publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Poplar Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Poplar Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Merton 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
90%
Near capacity
567 pupils
630 places
63 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 Merton council
Places available
2,114
Applications
2,015
Got 1st preference
86.4%
Got preferred school
97.8%
All primary applications across Merton council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
71
SEN Support
20
EHC Plans
15.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
598
Total Pupils
293
Boys
305
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
30
Teachers
19.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,934
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,986
Per pupil
£3830k
Total funding
£174k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
4.2%
Persistent absence
519
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
Poplar Primary School
Questions parents ask about Poplar Primary School
What are SATs results like at Poplar Primary School?
Of the pupils at Poplar Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82% reached the expected standard in reading and 88% did so in maths.
What is Poplar Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Poplar Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Poplar Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Poplar Primary School is oversubscribed, Merton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Poplar Primary School?
Poplar Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 90% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at Poplar Primary School?
Classes at Poplar Primary School average 25.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Poplar Primary School?
Poplar Primary School has around 598 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Poplar Primary School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Poplar Primary School in 2024/25. 4.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Poplar Primary School?
Apply through Merton's coordinated admissions process, naming Poplar 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 Poplar Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Poplar Primary School: Stagecoach Merton Park (710m away, registered, not yet graded), Home Away @Abbotsbury (850m away, registered, not yet graded) and Hall at St George's Church (890m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Poplar Primary School's term dates?
Poplar Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Merton. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). 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 Poplar Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 69 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 15 serious and 54 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 14 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 Merton is 48.5 (the median across 74 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Poplar Primary School?
Poplar Primary School is at Poplar Road South, Merton Park, London, SW19 3JZ.
Sources: Merton term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)