School Chooser

Marion Richardson Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil465 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubLondonTower Hamlets
School Chooser Score
76
Above
similar schools
Likely range 60 to 87
Out of 100. Better than 82% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedOutstandingLast Ofsted inspection, March 2024
Reached the expected level at 1164%England 63%
Attendance94.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families41%Far more than most schools
Places45 spare465 pupils, 510 places
Pupils per teacher17.9School workforce census

Marion Richardson Primary School is a council school in London for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 465 pupils and room for 510. About 41 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 77 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 82% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2024.

Senrab Street, London, E1 0QF020 7790 1441marionrichardson.towerhamlets.sch.ukMs Julia Burns headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 12 March 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Outstanding overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Outstanding
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
18 January 2023UngradedSchool remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1164%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level5%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 74%74%20172018: 76%76%20182019: 66%66%20192023: 53%53%20232024: 70%70%20242025: 64%64%2025
Since 2017: -10%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Tower HamletsEngland
Pupils tested585657595858
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths64%70%53%66%76%74%71%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths5%7%14%14%17%14%12%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0104.0102.0103.0107.0105.0107.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0105.0102.0106.0105.0106.0106.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0106.0103.0110.0109.0108.0107.4105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard76%77%61%71%84%79%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard78%82%65%76%81%84%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)71%75%75%85%90%91%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.1-0.5+2.4+1.6
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.8+2.2+1.7+2.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged52%64%47%68%76%75%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged76%74%59%64%75%73%

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
52%76%
Gap 24 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
63%65%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
61%64%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
3%5%
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.

A few spare places403 pupils for 452 places, 2024/25
89% full

About 49 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 roll465Census January 2026
Places51091% full
Pupils from low-income families39%41% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English63%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support16%74 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan9%40 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.914 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)43%£266,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls236 / 229
White British pupils2%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.4 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (61), Autistic spectrum disorder (18), Other difficulty or disability (18), emotional and mental health (6), Vision impairment (4), Hearing impairment (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll465469468514449451
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals39%39%33%31%36%38%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language63%63%69%71%80%85%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support9%9%14%12%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans8%6%3%2%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school20.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.22024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.0%6.0%7.1%6.6%3.9%4.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.9%4.6%6.0%5.8%3.8%4.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%1.3%1.1%0.9%0.2%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence20.1%18.4%24.7%25.4%8.6%13.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.20.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers25.1full-time equivalent, 27 people
Pupils per teacher17.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants18.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£59,748
Teachers who left in the year4%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£10,318England £7,738. Total £4.6m
Income per pupil£10,172England £7,697. Total £4.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,830England £3,480
Money in reserve-3%In the red: -£130k, -£291 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£65kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£10,318spent 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 m1,76212 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate133 per 1,000 people46% higher than the England average
Typical house price£505,000Tower Hamlets
Nearest bus stop80 mMarion Richardson School, 17 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
St Mary and St Michael Primary SchoolRoman Catholic480 m347Good 202364Compare
Cayley Primary SchoolCouncil590 m388Good 202269Compare
Stepney Park Primary SchoolCouncil660 m689Good 202378Compare
Blue Gate Fields Infants' SchoolCouncil680 m336Not inspectedCompare
Blue Gate Fields Junior SchoolCouncil680 m350Good 202393Compare
Halley Primary SchoolCouncil760 m194Good 202333Compare
Sir William Burrough Primary SchoolAcademy820 m294No overall grade 202578Compare
Peter Hills with St Mary's and St Paul's CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England880 m84Good 202218Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Marion Richardson Primary School with the 50 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 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats82%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 77 is 32 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 45 · highest 97100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Marion Richardson 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
Keir Hardie Primary SchoolCouncil2.9 miles437Outstanding 202496Compare
Brook House Primary SchoolFree school6.6 miles408Outstanding 202390Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 77 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 77% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 60 to 87. 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
-0.04
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 58 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.43
Ofsted grade, 2.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.00
DfE progress measure; 58 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.05
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.08
2024/25; 359 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 58 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 Marion Richardson Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Marion Richardson Primary School scores 77 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 82% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 60 to 87, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Marion Richardson Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Marion Richardson Primary School outstanding at its last full inspection on 12 March 2024.

How good are Marion Richardson Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 64% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 5% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Marion Richardson Primary School have?

465 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 510 places, so it is 91% full.

Is Marion Richardson Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 49 places were empty in 2024/25 (11% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Marion Richardson Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 20% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Marion Richardson Primary School?

The average class had 28.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Marion Richardson Primary School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Senrab Street, London, E1 0QF
Telephone
020 7790 1441
Website
www.marionrichardson.towerhamlets.sch.uk
Headteacher
Ms Julia Burns
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
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
Stepney Green
Constituency
Bethnal Green and Stepney
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
100911 · LAESTAB 2112397 · UKPRN 10074593
Formerly
Old Church Nursery School

Where these figures come from