St Francis RC Primary School, London
St Francis RC Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in London. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 867th-highest of the 959 schools in London with published results, and 10,716th of 14,452 across England. It was 61% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- 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 Southwark (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Francis RC Primary School in detail
St Francis RC Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "As the Headteacher, it is a privilege to give you an insight into the vibrant life of our school, the work of our children and the quality education we deliver. It is a real privilege to be Headteacher of St Francis, a school community that I know and love deeply."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at St Francis RC Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 66% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 80% in Southwark and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 84% in reading and 70% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Francis RC Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put St Francis RC Primary School as their first choice and 55 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 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 St Francis RC Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Francis RC Primary School are Bird In Bush School (0.2 miles, Good, 80% reading, 76% maths); Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park (0.2 miles, Good, 81% reading, 79% maths); John Keats Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 67% reading, 50% maths); and Phoenix Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 92% maths).
St Francis RC Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Bird In Bush SchoolHarris Primary Academy Peckham ParkJohn Keats Primary SchoolPhoenix Primary School
Who goes there
43.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 49.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (57%), other ethnic groups (29%) and Mixed (6%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Queens Road Peckham Station, about 960 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bird In Bush Road, 30 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Francis RC Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Francis RC Primary School are Harris Academy Peckham (0.6 miles), City of London Academy (Southwark) (0.6 miles), Ark Walworth Academy (0.7 miles) and The St Thomas the Apostle College (0.8 miles).
Harris Academy PeckhamCity of London Academy (Southwark)Ark Walworth AcademyThe St Thomas the Apostle College
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); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from December 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a welcoming school where children are kind, happy and eager to learn. Teachers are skilled at explaining new ideas and giving pupils lots of practice with new vocabulary. The school provides excellent support for reading from the start of Reception, with extra help for children who need it.
Key Strengths
- Pupils are kind, welcoming and happy, with calm and orderly behaviour throughout the school
- Teachers explain new content clearly and model vocabulary effectively, with skilled teaching in mathematics
- Strong systematic approach to teaching reading with early phonics in Reception and extra support for weaker readers
- Pupils develop wider interests through a broad curriculum including music, singing and learning instruments
- Effective safeguarding with leaders knowing pupils and families well, working closely with professionals
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, teachers do not systematically check what pupils know and remember, moving on to new learning without addressing gaps in knowledge
- Occasionally staff do not follow a consistent approach when supporting pupils learning to read, sometimes reading words aloud rather than encouraging pupils to decode them
- Recent curriculum changes in some subjects are too new to be fully embedded
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective with a dedicated safeguarding team that prioritises pupils' safety, knows families well, works with professionals, and ensures staff report concerns promptly with appropriate follow-up action.
Extracurricular Activities
Choir, keyboard, guitar, drums, school council, Minnie Vinnies community service group, fundraising events
St Francis RC Primary School is a good school where pupils are kind, inquisitive and happy. Staff are ambitious for pupils and have high expectations, with pupils sharing this ambition and being confident learners.
At a Glance
43.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 84% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 70% to 66% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 80% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.3
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
29.4
KS2
10
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Francis RC Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Francis RC Primary School.
- Magna Extended Schools at St Francis Primary schoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- Junior Adventures Group @ Peckham SE15690m away · Not yet graded
- Ultimate Sports Club Ltd760m away · Not yet graded
- Ultimate Sports Ltd930m away · Not yet graded
- Angels Breakfast and Afterschool club980m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Francis RC Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Southwark's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Francis RC Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Francis RC Primary School is in Southwark; for families living there:
- Southwark's school travel policy: travel assistance policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 174
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 31
- Children hurt
- 13
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 174 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 31 serious and 141 slight.
13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
31 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.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at St Francis RC Primary School
Will you get a place at St Francis RC Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Francis RC Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Francis RC Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Francis RC Primary School.
- Southwark publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Francis RC Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Francis RC Primary 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
61%
Available places
256 pupils
420 places
164 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 Southwark council
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)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
50
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
24.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
253
Total Pupils
132
Boys
121
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
19.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£62,182
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,518
Per pupil
£2103k
Total funding
£162k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
14.8%
Persistent absence
237
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
St Francis RC Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Francis RC Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Francis RC Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Francis RC Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% reached the expected standard in reading and 66% did so in maths.
What is St Francis RC Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Francis RC Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Francis RC Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Francis RC Primary 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 St Francis RC Primary School?
St Francis RC Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 61% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at St Francis RC Primary School?
Classes at St Francis RC Primary School average 25.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Francis RC Primary School?
St Francis RC Primary School has around 253 pupils on roll. 44% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Francis RC Primary School?
4.8% of sessions were missed at St Francis RC Primary School in 2024/25. 14.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Francis RC Primary School?
Apply through Southwark's coordinated admissions process, naming St Francis RC 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 St Francis RC Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Magna Extended Schools at St Francis Primary school (registered, not yet graded). There are 4 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Francis RC Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 174 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 31 serious and 141 slight. 13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 31 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 St Francis RC Primary School?
St Francis RC Primary School is at Friary Road, Peckham, London, SE15 1RQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)