School Chooser

Heber Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil447 pupilsNurseryLondonSouthwark
School Chooser Score
80
Above
similar schools
Likely range 64 to 90
Out of 100. Better than 59% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, October 2019
Reached the expected level at 1170%England 63%
Attendance95.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families13%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull447 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher20.2School workforce census

Heber Primary School is a council school in London for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 447 pupils, 27 more than it has places for. About 13 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 80 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 59% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2019.

Heber Road, East Dulwich, London, SE22 9LA020 8693 2075heberprimaryschool.comMrs Vanessa Kyprios headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 October 2019, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A later, shorter visit on 12 March 2025 said: “Improved significantly”.

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

This inspection is more than 6 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
12 March 2025UngradedImproved significantly

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1170%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level8%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score110.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score108.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 73%73%20172018: 68%68%20182019: 74%74%20192023: 68%68%20232024: 78%78%20242025: 70%70%2025
Since 2017: -3%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017SouthwarkEngland
Pupils tested504056536084
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths70%78%68%74%68%73%70%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%15%13%23%15%12%12%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score110.0111.0106.0110.0108.0109.0106.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score108.0110.0104.0107.0104.0104.0105.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score109.0111.0106.0109.0106.0106.0106.7105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard92%85%75%85%85%82%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard86%85%79%81%83%81%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)74%78%82%85%77%77%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.8+2.4+0.6+3.8
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.0-0.8-2.3-1.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%38%35%17%55%36%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged75%88%82%90%71%85%

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. 1 of the 4 gaps is 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
50%75%
Gap 25 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
64%77%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
80%70%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
10%8%
Gap 2 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.

Nearly full405 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
96% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 8% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 320 m away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 320 m from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary60249320 mLA

What a home within 320 m of the school costs

Typical sale price within 320 m of the school£787,500half sold for £526k to £1.0m
Homes sold176December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district+43%a typical home in the district sells for £550,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

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 roll447Census January 2026
Places420106% full
Pupils from low-income families13%13% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English24%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support11%51 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%8 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.414 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)13%£85,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls211 / 236
White British pupils49%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (19), Autistic spectrum disorder (14), Specific learning difficulty (11), emotional and mental health (6), language and communications needs (4), Other difficulty or disability (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll447434421426409402
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals13%14%13%15%15%14%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language24%23%25%28%27%26%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support10%11%12%11%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%2%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school7.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.22024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.2%4.1%4.8%7.0%3.6%3.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.9%2.7%3.4%5.3%2.6%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.5%1.4%1.7%1.0%1.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence7.8%8.6%11.7%20.2%9.2%10.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.20.00.00.50.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers22.0full-time equivalent, 25 people
Pupils per teacher20.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants10.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£59,906
Teachers who left in the year24%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.02024/25

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£7,332England £7,738. Total £3.1m
Income per pupil£7,400England £7,697. Total £3.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,664England £3,480
Money in reserve3%Not much put by: £104k, £244 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£29kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,332spent 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 m74112 months to June 2026, mostly shoplifting
Local crime rate84 per 1,000 people8% lower than the England average
Typical house price£550,000Southwark
Nearest bus stop170 mGoodrich Road, 21 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
Harris Primary Academy East DulwichFree school320 m346Outstanding 202395Compare
St Anthony's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy370 m414Good 202190Compare
Goodrich Community Primary SchoolCouncil500 m421No overall grade 202570Compare
Dulwich Village Church of England Infants' SchoolChurch of England910 m265Outstanding 202399Compare
Goose Green Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy980 m210Good 202027Compare
Dulwich Hamlet Junior SchoolAcademy0.6 miles374Outstanding 202398Compare
Bessemer Grange Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles515Good 202489Compare
St John's and St Clement's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England0.7 miles400No overall grade 202494Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Heber Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats59%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 80 is 5 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 7 · middle 75 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Heber 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
La Fontaine AcademyFree school5.7 miles492Outstanding 202499Compare
Deansfield Primary SchoolAcademy5.9 miles461No overall grade 202598Compare
Harris Primary Academy KenleyAcademy8.9 miles433No overall grade 202587Compare
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic12.9 miles408Good 202391Compare
Hampton Junior SchoolCouncil13.2 miles474Outstanding 202495Compare
Gidea Park Primary SchoolCouncil14.7 miles459Good 202287Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 80 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 80% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 64 to 90. 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%above
+0.21
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 50 pupils
Ofsted inspection11% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 6.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.04
DfE progress measure; 50 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.10
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.08
2024/25; 359 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.06
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 50 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 Heber Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Heber Primary School scores 80 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 59% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 64 to 90, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Heber Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Heber Primary School good at its last full inspection on 8 October 2019. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Heber Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 70% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 8% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Heber Primary School have?

447 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 106% full.

Is Heber Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 320 m away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Heber Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 8% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Heber Primary School?

The average class had 27.4 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
Heber Road, East Dulwich, London, SE22 9LA
Telephone
020 8693 2075
Website
www.heberprimaryschool.com
Headteacher
Mrs Vanessa Kyprios
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Southwark
Ward
Goose Green
Constituency
Lewisham West and East Dulwich
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
100793 · LAESTAB 2102293 · UKPRN 10074614

Where these figures come from