Rathfern Primary School
| Type | Primary / Community school |
| Age Range | 3-11 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Rathfern Road Catford London SE6 4NL |
| Phone | 02086903759 |
| Reference Number | 100700 |
Rathfern Primary School is a larger-than-average primary school in Catford that inspectors found to be performing strongly overall. Safeguarding standards are met. The school is highly inclusive, attendance is above national averages, behaviour is consistently positive, and pupils benefit from an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum. Early years provision is particularly impressive, and leadership, governance, personal development, and creative and cultural opportunities are all notable strengths. Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are supported well, including through targeted interventions and the ‘nest’ provision. The main area for further development is achievement as reflected in published outcomes. Although pupils progress well through the curriculum and the most recent national assessment results improved significantly, outcomes are broadly in line with national figures and have not yet been consistently strong over time. In 2023/24, some published measures were below national averages. The report’s next step asks leaders to keep strengthening work to reduce barriers to learning so that pupils’ achievement is clearly reflected in the school’s published outcomes over time. Inspectors found the school’s culture to be warm, purposeful and equitable, with a strong moral purpose and high expectations. Staff know pupils well, teaching is consistent, and pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. The inspection was a full section 5 inspection, with representatives from the trust, governing body and local authority involved.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 484 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 49.17%
Girls: 50.83% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 21.2% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 30.8% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 28.2 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 29.2 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 27.6 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | 33 | 59 |
| 2 | 35 | 22 | 57 |
| 3 | 31 | 29 | 60 |
| 4 | 29 | 29 | 58 |
| 5 | 32 | 41 | 73 |
| 6 | 45 | 40 | 85 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 28.7% |
| African | 13.8% |
| White, Other | 9.1% |
| Caribbean | 9.1% |
| Mixed, Other | 7% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 6.2% |
| White & Black (African) | 3.1% |
| White & Asian | 2.9% |
| Indian | 2.1% |
| Asian, Other | 2.1% |
| Pakistani | 1.2% |
| Chinese | 1% |
| Unclassified | 1% |
| Irish | 0.4% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Expected standard |
| > Leadership & Governance | Strong standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Strong standard |
| > Achievement | Expected standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Strong standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Strong standard |
| > Inclusion | Strong standard |
| > Early Years | Strong standard |
| Last Report Date | 20 Jan 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 20 Jan 2026 | School inspection |
| 28 Sep 2021 | School inspection |
| 08 Dec 2015 | Full inspection |
| 28 Mar 2014 | Interim assessment |
| 28 Mar 2011 | Full inspection |
| 27 May 2010 | Monitoring visit |
| 05 Jun 2008 | Full inspection |
| 01 Nov 2004 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils’ attendance is above national average, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
- Behaviour is consistently positive, with respectful relationships and a safe, purposeful environment.
- The curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced and strengthened by ‘golden threads’ and a focus on language.
- Teaching is consistent and evidence-informed, with strong subject knowledge and effective checking of pupils’ understanding.
- Early years provision gives children an impressive start, especially in reading, phonics, language and self-regulation.
- Inclusion is a major strength; pupils’ needs are identified early and support is well targeted, including the ‘nest’ provision.
- Leadership and governance are highly effective, with clear moral purpose, strong staff development and robust oversight.
- Personal development and wellbeing are promoted effectively, building character, respect, social skills and safety awareness.
- Creative, artistic and cultural opportunities, including clubs, visits and performances, enrich pupils’ experiences.
- Pupils achieve well in phonics and multiplication tables, and attainment improved significantly in the most recent year.
- Disadvantaged pupils’ performance is above national in several measures and the disadvantage gap is narrowing.
- Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture and effective responses to concerns.
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils’ achievement in national assessments is broadly in line with national figures and not yet consistently strong over time.
- Published outcomes over time need to more clearly reflect the school’s work to reduce barriers to learning.
- In 2023/24, outcomes in reading and combined reading, writing and mathematics were below national averages.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 82% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 8% |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 111 | ||
| Maths | 110 |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -2 | ||
| Writing | -0.9 | ||
| Maths | -0.5 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
UnlockUnlock Premium
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 65 | 3 |
| Third Preference | 59 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 5 | 1 |
Previous Years
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1.03 miles |
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1.09 miles |
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St Dunstan's College
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0.25 miles |
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Prendergast Ladywell School
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Brent Knoll School
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0.7 miles |
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Forest Hill School
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0.91 miles |
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Conisborough College
Conisborough Crescent, Catford, London, SE6 2SE |
1.03 miles |
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Sydenham School
Dartmouth Road, London, SE26 4RD |
1.24 miles |
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Prendergast School
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1.3 miles |
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The Young Women's Hub
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1.33 miles |
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1.35 miles |
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Lift Newlands
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1.42 miles |
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1.45 miles |
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1.48 miles |
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Greenvale School
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1.65 miles |
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Bonus Pastor Catholic College
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1.67 miles |
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New Woodlands School
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1.68 miles |
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Sydenham High School, GDST
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1.7 miles |
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Prendergast Vale School
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1.71 miles |
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Urban Mission School
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