Southwold Primary School, Hackney
Southwold Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Hackney. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 50 schools in Hackney with published results, and 474th of 14,452 across England. It was 81% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hackney (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Southwold Primary School in detail
Southwold Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include chess and gardening.
The school runs after-school care.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 96% of Year 6 pupils at Southwold Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 94% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 84% and 82% in Hackney and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (96% in reading, 93% in maths).
Getting a place at Southwold Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 30 families put Southwold Primary School as their first choice and 74 named it as one of their preferences, for 32 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 Southwold Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Southwold Primary School are Harrington Hill Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 76% reading, 66% maths); Northwold Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 90% reading, 93% maths); St Scholastica's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths); and Millfields Community School (0.5 miles, Good, 83% reading, 78% maths).
Southwold Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Harrington Hill Primary SchoolNorthwold Primary SchoolSt Scholastica's Catholic Primary SchoolMillfields Community School
What parents say
35 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Southwold Primary School (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 78% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (89%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (78%).
Who goes there
51.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 45.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (30%), Mixed (21%) and Asian (15%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Clapton Rail Station, about 310 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Jack Watts Estate (->e), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Southwold Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 743 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hackney (1215).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Southwold Primary School issued 7 suspensions, 1.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a welcoming, nurturing environment where children thrive academically and socially. With expert teaching, a rich curriculum, and high expectations for all pupils, the school achieves phenomenally high results - particularly impressive given the high levels of disadvantage in the pupil community. Children develop into confident, proud citizens with strong values and excellent behaviour.
Key Strengths
- Excellent phonics teaching with consistent, expert delivery leading to strong early reading skills
- Ambitious, well-designed curriculum with focus on vocabulary development and building deep knowledge
- Exemplary personal, social and health education with enriching visits and residential trips
- Swift identification and effective support for pupils with SEND who achieve highly
- Highly motivated pupils with calm, purposeful classrooms and minimal behaviour disruptions
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Art gallery visits, forest visits, places of worship visits, UK and international residential trips, career talks from professionals in law and technology, Cambridge University visits, school leadership opportunities
Southwold Primary School has maintained the high standards from its previous outstanding inspection. Pupils thrive in this welcoming school with impeccable behaviour, strong relationships, and phenomenally high academic outcomes.
At a Glance
51.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
35 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 remained stable at around 96% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 94% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 91% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.9
Avg class size
23.6
Infant (KS1)
24.4
KS2
14
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Southwold Primary School
EYFS Makes Phonics Fun Through Play
2 Oct 2026
Year 5 Bring Viking Boats to Life
2 Oct 2026
Culture and World Week Coffee Morning - 9th October 2026
30 Sep 2026
Significant Male Day 2026
25 Sep 2026
Year 4 Plan Future Careers
24 Sep 2026
Year 3 Classify Different Types of Rocks
18 Sep 2026
From Southwold Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Southwold Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Southwold Primary School.
- Amazing Kids Club230m away · Not yet graded
- FunnCamp at Jubilee Primary900m away · Not yet graded
- FunnCamp at Benthal Primary980m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Southwold Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Southwold Primary School is in Hackney; for families living there:
Apply to Hackney for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 166
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 19
- Children hurt
- 17
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 166 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 19 serious and 145 slight.
17 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise.
33 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 Hackney is 169 (the median across 105 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 Southwold Primary School
Will you get a place at Southwold Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Southwold Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Southwold Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Southwold Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hackney, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Southwold Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hackney 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
81%
Available places
338 pupils
419 places
81 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hackney
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hackney
Across Hackney council
Places available
2,405
Applications
1,677
Got 1st preference
88.1%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Hackney council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(10)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
60
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
21.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
341
Total Pupils
171
Boys
170
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
20.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,606
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,580
Per pupil
£2965k
Total funding
£238k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
18.4%
Persistent absence
305
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
Southwold Primary School
Questions parents ask about Southwold Primary School
What are SATs results like at Southwold Primary School?
Of the pupils at Southwold Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 96% reached the expected standard in reading and 94% did so in maths.
What is Southwold Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Southwold Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2019, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Southwold Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Southwold Primary School is oversubscribed, Hackney allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Southwold Primary School?
Southwold Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 419 places.
How big are the classes at Southwold Primary School?
Classes at Southwold Primary School average 23.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Southwold Primary School?
Southwold Primary School has around 341 pupils on roll. 52% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Southwold Primary School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Southwold Primary School in 2024/25. 18.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Southwold Primary School?
Apply through Hackney's coordinated admissions process, naming Southwold 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 Southwold Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Southwold Primary School: Amazing Kids Club (230m away, registered, not yet graded), FunnCamp at Jubilee Primary (900m away, registered, not yet graded) and FunnCamp at Benthal Primary (980m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Southwold Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 166 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 19 serious and 145 slight. 17 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise. 33 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 Hackney is 169 (the median across 105 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Southwold Primary School?
Southwold Primary School is at Detmold Road, Clapton, Hackney, E5 9NL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)