South Norwood Primary

South Norwood Primary is performing well overall, receiving a 'Good' rating across all inspected areas. The school has a strong focus on providing a meaningful education, ensuring that pupils are happy, safe, and engaged in their learning. High expectations for behavior and learning are evident, with a commendable culture of mutual respect fostered among pupils. Leaders have made concerted efforts to create an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that includes a diverse array of experiences and supports the full educational journey of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This inspection was notably the school's first since becoming an academy under The Pioneer Academy trust, following a period of inadequate performance of its predecessor school.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy learning and feel safe at school.
• Leaders provide additional experiences such as museum visits and educational outings.
• The school has a well-designed and ambitious curriculum.
• Pupils with SEND receive targeted support in an enhanced learning provision.
• Effective phonics instruction is in place from the start of Reception.
• Pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain, promoting diversity and respect.
• Strong professional development opportunities are offered to staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Some foundation subjects are at earlier stages of implementation.
• A few pupils are not secure in their prior knowledge needed for later learning.

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 South Norwood Primary attended 93.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.7% 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, 0.9% of pupils at South Norwood Primary 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 South Norwood Primary had 17.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.8% 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, 14.3% of pupils at South Norwood Primary were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.1% 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 South Norwood Primary received £9,583 and spent £9,339 for each of its 326 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £130,000 (£399 per pupil).

Across all 22 schools of The Pioneer Academy, income was £7,355 and spending £7,206 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 Croydon · Croydon local authority: places and applications

South Norwood Primary is part of The Pioneer Academy, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:

• Stewart Fleming Primary School London
• The Crescent Primary School Croydon
• Broadmead Primary School Croydon
• Woodcote Primary School Coulsdon
• Southborough Primary School Bromley
• Red Hill Primary School Chislehurst
• Downe Primary School Orpington
• Burnt Oak Junior School Sidcup
• Chatsworth Infant School Sidcup
• Halstead Community Primary School Sevenoaks

What is South Norwood Primary's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for South Norwood Primary is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was South Norwood Primary last inspected by Ofsted?

South Norwood Primary was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does South Norwood Primary have?

South Norwood Primary has 356 pupils on roll.

What age range does South Norwood Primary cover?

South Norwood Primary for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are South Norwood Primary's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is South Norwood Primary?

South Norwood Primary is at 34 Crowther Road, South Norwood, London, SE25 5QP.