Sir John Heron Primary School

Sir John Heron Primary School is performing well overall, with strong standards across achievement, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development. Pupils achieve above national averages at the end of key stage 2, including disadvantaged pupils, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress from their starting points. The curriculum is well sequenced, teaching is consistent, and pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. The school is welcoming and inclusive, with a specially resourced provision for up to 16 pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Leaders know the school and its community well, staff receive high-quality professional development, and governors provide effective support and challenge. Pupils behave very well, feel safe, and benefit from a broad personal development programme and a wide range of opportunities beyond lessons. Early years provision gives children a very successful start. The main area for improvement is attendance. Although overall attendance is broadly in line with the national average, persistent absence remains above the national average and leaders' actions have not yet secured a sufficient overall reduction. Safeguarding standards are met.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve above national averages in key stage 2 outcomes, including disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress from their starting points.
• The curriculum is well planned and sequenced across subjects and phases.
• Teaching is consistent and staff receive high-quality professional development and coaching.
• Early years provision gives children a very successful start and children leave well prepared for Year 1.
• Inclusion is strong, including well-managed specialist provision for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school and have been highly effective in improving outcomes.
• Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities and provide appropriate support and challenge.
• Pupils' behaviour is of a very high standard and classrooms are productive and purposeful.
• Personal development is broad and well planned, with pupils taking on meaningful leadership roles.
• Pupils feel safe and safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• Persistent absence remains above the national average and leaders' actions have not yet secured a sufficient overall reduction.

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 Sir John Heron Primary School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.1% 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, 0.2% of pupils at Sir John Heron 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 Sir John Heron Primary School had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.8% 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, 22.5% of pupils at Sir John Heron Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.7% 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 Sir John Heron Primary School received £10,063 and spent £10,036 for each of its 420 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £525,000 (£1,252 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 Newham · Newham local authority: places and applications

What is Sir John Heron Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sir John Heron Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Sir John Heron Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sir John Heron Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Sir John Heron Primary School have?

Sir John Heron Primary School has 453 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sir John Heron Primary School cover?

Sir John Heron Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Sir John Heron Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sir John Heron Primary School?

Sir John Heron Primary School is at School Road, Manor Park, London, E12 5PY.