Crawford Primary School

Crawford Primary School is a good school across all inspected areas. Pupils say they feel happy, safe and valued, and they benefit from caring relationships, high expectations and an inclusive culture. The curriculum is broad, well sequenced and ambitious, with a strong focus on vocabulary and early reading. Children in the early years get off to a strong start, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly and supported in a highly nurturing way. The school’s personal development and behaviour work are also strengths. Pupils behave well, understand safety and equality, and take on responsibilities. Attendance and well-being support are strong, particularly for vulnerable pupils, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Leaders and governors know the school well and have provided effective support following the school’s recent defederation and the appointment of the headteacher in March 2024. There are a few areas to improve. In some subjects, activities are not adapted well enough to pupils’ prior knowledge or SEND needs, which can limit how securely pupils build knowledge and occasionally affects focus. The curriculum for pupils with complex speech, language and communication needs is still under development, and the school needs to set out more clearly and consistently what these pupils should learn and how it builds progressively.

Strengths

• Caring and nurturing environment where pupils feel happy, safe and valued
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils
• High expectations that pupils rise to
• Broad, well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum
• Sharp focus on developing pupils’ vocabulary across subjects
• Secure subject knowledge and clear teaching
• Strong early reading curriculum that builds fluency and confidence
• Effective support for pupils who join at different times or need extra help
• Quick identification of SEND and nurturing support for pupils with complex needs
• Broad and well-planned early years curriculum with an effective learning environment
• Effective governors who support the school well
• Strong teamwork and well-supported staff
• Open and inclusive culture that makes everyone feel valued
• Strong work to promote attendance and well-being, especially for vulnerable pupils
• Well-structured personal development programme
• Pupils behave well and take on responsibilities
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, activities are not adapted well enough to pupils’ needs or prior knowledge
• Some pupils lose focus when tasks are not adapted effectively
• Curriculum planning for pupils with complex speech, language and communication needs is still developing
• The curriculum for pupils on some ‘pathways’ does not yet clearly and consistently set out what pupils need to know and how it builds progressively

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Crawford Primary School attended 93.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 23.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.6% of pupils at Crawford Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Crawford Primary School had 22.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 27.0% of pupils at Crawford Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Crawford Primary School received £11,157 and spent £10,767 for each of its 284 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £248,000 (£876 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Southwark · Southwark local authority: places and applications

What is Crawford Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Crawford Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Crawford Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Crawford Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Crawford Primary School have?

Crawford Primary School has 285 pupils on roll.

What age range does Crawford Primary School cover?

Crawford Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Crawford Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Crawford Primary School?

Crawford Primary School is at Crawford Road, London, SE5 9NF.