School Chooser

Halley Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil194 pupilsNurseryLondonTower Hamlets
School Chooser Score
33
Below
similar schools
Likely range 14 to 63, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 51% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, March 2023
Reached the expected level at 1168%England 63%
Attendance92.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families32%A bit more than most schools
Places46 spare194 pupils, 240 places
Pupils per teacher19.2School workforce census

Halley Primary School is a council school in London for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 194 pupils and room for 240. About 32 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 33 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 51% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Halley Street, London, E14 7SS020 7265 8061halley.towerhamlets.sch.ukMs Shoshannah Thompson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 28 March 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

28 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1168%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level4%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 47%47%20172018: 73%73%20182019: 60%60%20192023: 52%52%20232024: 67%67%20242025: 68%68%2025
Since 2017: +21%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Tower HamletsEngland
Pupils tested282721303030
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths68%67%52%60%73%47%71%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths4%0%0%3%13%3%12%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0103.0102.0102.0106.0100.0107.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0104.0103.0106.0105.0102.0106.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0105.0103.0104.0109.0104.0107.4105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard75%74%62%70%83%53%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard86%81%76%83%90%57%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)86%74%76%80%77%73%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.6-2.7-1.6-3.9
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.5+0.5-2.4-2.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged58%50%40%55%65%48%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged75%76%64%70%85%43%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 3 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
58%75%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
64%71%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
65%68%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%4%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places187 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
89% full

About 23 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Tower Hamlets council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll194Census January 2026
Places24081% full
Pupils from low-income families29%32% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English93%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support11%22 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%12 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.77 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)38%£102,300 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls95 / 99
White British pupils0%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 22.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (11), Moderate learning difficulty (7), emotional and mental health (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), Physical disability (3), Hearing impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll194204210208212216
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals29%34%26%26%29%32%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language93%91%95%94%78%86%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support9%13%12%12%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%5%5%5%7%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school23.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.1%6.7%6.2%5.5%2.3%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.1%4.5%4.3%4.5%2.1%2.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.0%2.3%1.9%1.1%0.2%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence23.5%20.4%21.0%14.1%2.4%5.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.50.00.90.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers9.7full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher19.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£59,998
Teachers who left in the year14%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher6.12024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£9,541England £7,738. Total £1.9m
Income per pupil£9,648England £7,697. Total £1.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,632England £3,480
Money in reserve-1%In the red: -£17k, -£85 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£21kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£9,541spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1,47912 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate100 per 1,000 people10% higher than the England average
Typical house price£505,000Tower Hamlets
Nearest bus stop130 mDongola Road, 15 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Cayley Primary SchoolCouncil230 m388Good 202269Compare
Ben Jonson Primary SchoolCouncil340 m591Good 202480Compare
Solebay Primary - A Paradigm AcademyFree school520 m170Outstanding 202383Compare
Sir William Burrough Primary SchoolAcademy520 m294No overall grade 202578Compare
Stepney Greencoat Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England560 m189Good 202342Compare
St Paul With St Luke CofE Primary FederationChurch of England610 m180Not inspected35Compare
Marion Richardson Primary SchoolCouncil760 m465Outstanding 202477Compare
Stebon Primary SchoolAcademy810 m695Outstanding 202397Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Halley Primary School with the 43 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 43 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats51%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 33 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 31 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 43 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Halley Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Sir William Burrough Primary SchoolAcademy520 m294No overall grade 202578Compare
Hague Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles205Good 202270Compare
St Paul's Whitechapel Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England1.3 miles198Good 202467Compare
St Luke's Primary SchoolChurch of England/Christian2.2 miles208Good 201988Compare
St Anne's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic4.2 miles162Report card 202642Compare
Iqra Primary SchoolMuslim5.9 miles235Outstanding 202499Compare
St Paul's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic6.4 miles165No overall grade 202581Compare
St Paul's CofE Primary School N11Church of England8.2 miles181Good 202451Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 33 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 33% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 14 to 63. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
-0.06
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 28 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.04
DfE progress measure; 28 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.06
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.13
2024/25; 170 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 28 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Halley Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Halley Primary School scores 33 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 51% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 14 to 63, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Halley Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Halley Primary School good at its last full inspection on 28 March 2023.

How good are Halley Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 68% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 4% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Halley Primary School have?

194 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 81% full.

Is Halley Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 23 places were empty in 2024/25 (11% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Halley Primary School?

Pupils were in school 92.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 24% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Halley Primary School?

The average class had 24.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Halley Street, London, E14 7SS
Telephone
020 7265 8061
Website
www.halley.towerhamlets.sch.uk
Headteacher
Ms Shoshannah Thompson
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Tower Hamlets
Ward
St Dunstan's
Constituency
Bethnal Green and Stepney
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
100938 · LAESTAB 2112916 · UKPRN 10071336

Where these figures come from