Sir William Burrough Primary School

Sir William Burrough Primary School is a calm, purposeful and welcoming school where pupils are happy, feel safe and behave exceptionally well. The school has high expectations and a thorough understanding of pupils’ individual needs, including those with SEND. Pupils achieve well, reading is a clear priority, phonics is taught effectively, and children in the early years get a strong start, particularly in communication and language. Personal development is rich, with pupils benefiting from trips, arts, sport, music and opportunities to take responsibility. The curriculum is ambitious and broad, and leaders have identified what pupils should learn and when. The trust and local committee understand the school’s strengths and priorities, attendance is improving, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school became part of University Schools Trust in February 2024, and the executive headteacher is responsible for this school and one other. There are two main areas for improvement. In some subjects, pupils do not have enough regular opportunities to revisit and consolidate prior learning, so their recall of essential knowledge is less secure. In addition, checks on pupils’ writing do not consistently tackle spelling and letter-formation errors, which limits how well writing is developed.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, feel safe and are well cared for.
• Behaviour is exemplary and pupils have very positive attitudes to learning.
• Pupils build strong relationships and show respect for staff and peers.
• The curriculum is ambitious and broad, with clear content sequencing.
• Reading is a high priority and phonics is delivered effectively.
• Pupils with SEND receive the support they need to succeed.
• Early years provision gives children a strong start, especially in communication and language.
• Personal development is enriched through trips, arts, sport and music.
• Attendance is a priority and overall rates are improving.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Trust and local committee understand the school’s strengths and priorities and are mindful of staff workload.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, pupils lack regular opportunities to revisit and consolidate prior learning, so recall of essential knowledge is less secure.
• Checks on pupils’ writing do not consistently address spelling and letter formation errors.

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 William Burrough Primary School attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.5% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Sir William Burrough 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 William Burrough Primary School had 19.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 45.7% 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, 21.1% of pupils at Sir William Burrough Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.1% 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 2024–25 Sir William Burrough Primary School received £9,336 and spent £9,575 for each of its 313 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £108,000 (-£345 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of University Schools Trust, East London, income was £11,175 and spending £11,053 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Tower Hamlets · Tower Hamlets local authority: places and applications

Sir William Burrough Primary School is part of University Schools Trust, East London, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Cyril Jackson Primary School London
• St Paul's Way Trust School London
• Canary Wharf Secondary London
• Canary Wharf Primary, East Ferry London
• Canary Wharf Primary, Glenworth London
• Royal Greenwich Trust School London

What is Sir William Burrough Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sir William Burrough Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Sir William Burrough Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sir William Burrough Primary School was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Sir William Burrough Primary School have?

Sir William Burrough Primary School has 294 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sir William Burrough Primary School cover?

Sir William Burrough Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Sir William Burrough Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sir William Burrough Primary School?

Sir William Burrough Primary School is at Salmon Lane, Limehouse, London, E14 7PQ.