John Donne Primary School

Southwark · SE15 2SW

General information Primary School · 3-11 years Who goes here 405 pupils, 56.8% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 9.9% on SEN support Behaviour 5.1% absence rate Staff 18.3% turnover Financials £8,489 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

We haven't asked this school for its behaviour and staffing figures yet. Sign up to tell us you'd like them, and we'll email you when they arrive.

Notify me

Your email address

Leave this empty

We'll email you a link to confirm first. Your address is only used for news about this school, and every email has a link to stop them. Privacy

John Donne Primary School

General Information

Address: Woods Road, London, SE15 2SW – View on map
Phone: 02076390594
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Miss Jo Rooney
Age range: 3-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 43 families put it first for 44 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. 2 of the 44 places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 9 · 2025 9 · 2026 10
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Does not apply
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

405 pupils out of 460 places

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 230
% eligible for free school meals: 56.8%
Pupil mix: 8 in 10 (similar to the Southwark average)
English as an additional language: 59% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 18.3% a year (Southwark 19.4%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 30% moved to another school, 70% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Southwark: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 5 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 4 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 2 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Southwark, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 5.1%
Persistently absent pupils: 12.7%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 9.9%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 4.2%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 21 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 10 pupils
SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need: 4 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 3 pupils
Other difficulty or disability: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Autistic spectrum disorder: 9 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 6 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 1 pupil
Physical disability: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

Be the first to review — win £100 of books for your school Every honest review enters you into our prize draw

Behaviour

–

Openness

–

Teaching Quality

–

School Ethos

–

Ability to Deal with Problems

–

Headteacher Approval

–

SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

–

Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

–

Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2023 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 65% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 8% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 6 percentage points below the Southwark average (71%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: As expected (3-year average 66% against an expected 62%)
3-year average (expected standard): 66%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 73% · Writing 84% · Maths 76% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 69%
Average test scores: reading 103, maths 103
Based on: 51 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolSouthwark averageEngland→ Broadly steady No clear rise or fall since 2022/23 (changes this small are normal from one year group to the next). In 2024/25 this school was 6 percentage points below the Southwark average (71%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 45th of 65 junior and primary schools in the area

=39St Joseph's Catholic Primary School67%
#44Pilgrims' Way Primary School66%
=45John Donne Primary School65%
=45Michael Faraday School65%
#47Paxton Primary School64%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overie93%
=2Charles Dickens Primary School92%
=2St John's Roman Catholic Primary School92%
#4Angel Oak Academy90%
=5Harris Primary Academy East Dulwich89%
=5Redriff Primary, City of London Academy89%
#7Judith Kerr Primary School86%
=8Boutcher Church of England Primary School84%
=8Dulwich Hamlet Junior School84%
#10Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough83%
#11Brunswick Park Primary School82%
=12Phoenix Primary School80%
=12The Belham Primary School80%
#14Bessemer Grange Primary School78%
=15English Martyrs' Roman Catholic Primary School77%
=15Rotherhithe Primary School77%
=17Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park76%
=17Riverside Primary School76%
=17Southwark Park Primary School76%
=20Ark Globe Academy75%
=20St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School75%
#22Victory Primary School74%
=23Alfred Salter Primary School73%
=23Ilderton Primary School73%
=23St John's and St Clement's Church of England Primary School73%
=26Oasis Academy Surrey Square72%
=26St Anthony's Catholic Primary School72%
#28Lyndhurst Primary School71%
=29Bellenden Primary School70%
=29Dulwich Wood Primary School70%
=29Heber Primary School70%
=32Albion Primary School69%
=32Galleywall Primary, City of London Academy69%
=34Friars Primary Foundation School68%
=34Ivydale Primary School68%
=34John Ruskin Primary School and Language Classes68%
=34St James' Church of England Primary School68%
=34St Peter's Church of England Primary School68%
=39Bird In Bush School67%
=39Crawford Primary School67%
=39Grange Primary School67%
=39St Joseph's Catholic Junior School67%
=39St Joseph's Catholic Primary School67%
#44Pilgrims' Way Primary School66%
=45John Donne Primary School65%
=45Michael Faraday School65%
#47Paxton Primary School64%
#48Keyworth Primary School63%
=49Crampton Primary62%
=49St George's Church of England Primary School62%
=51Snowsfields Primary School61%
=51St Paul's Church of England Primary School61%
=53Peter Hills with St Mary's and St Paul's CofE Primary School60%
=53St Francis RC Primary School60%
=55Goodrich Community Primary School59%
=55Hollydale Primary School59%
=55Tower Bridge Primary School59%
#58Grove Primary School56%
#59Goose Green Primary and Nursery School55%
#60St John the Divine Church of England Primary School52%
#61Oliver Goldsmith Primary School51%
#62Rye Oak Primary School48%
#63John Keats Primary School47%
=64Robert Browning Primary School43%
=64St Jude's Church of England Primary School43%

View full Ofsted inspection report

27th of 55 primary schools in Southwark for Ofsted rating

#25Hollydale Primary SchoolGood
#26Ivydale Primary SchoolGood
#27John Donne Primary SchoolGood
#28John Keats Primary SchoolGood
#29Judith Kerr Primary SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Angel Oak AcademyOutstanding
#2Boutcher Church of England Primary SchoolOutstanding
#3Charles Dickens Primary SchoolOutstanding
#4Crampton PrimaryOutstanding
#5Galleywall Primary, City of London AcademyOutstanding
#6Harris Primary Academy East DulwichOutstanding
#7John Ruskin Primary School and Language ClassesOutstanding
#8Oasis Academy Surrey SquareOutstanding
#9Redriff Primary, City of London AcademyOutstanding
#10St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolOutstanding
#11The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary OverieOutstanding
#12Albion Primary SchoolGood
#13Alfred Salter Primary SchoolGood
#14Bellenden Primary SchoolGood
#15Bessemer Grange Primary SchoolGood
#16Bird In Bush SchoolGood
#17Dulwich Wood Primary SchoolGood
#18English Martyrs' Roman Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#19Friars Primary Foundation SchoolGood
#20Goodrich Community Primary SchoolGood
#21Goose Green Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#22Grove Primary SchoolGood
#23Harris Primary Academy Peckham ParkGood
#24Heber Primary SchoolGood
#25Hollydale Primary SchoolGood
#26Ivydale Primary SchoolGood
#27John Donne Primary SchoolGood
#28John Keats Primary SchoolGood
#29Judith Kerr Primary SchoolGood
#30Keyworth Primary SchoolGood
#31Lyndhurst Primary SchoolGood
#32Michael Faraday SchoolGood
#33Oliver Goldsmith Primary SchoolGood
#34Paxton Primary SchoolGood
#35Peter Hills with St Mary's and St Paul's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#36Pilgrims' Way Primary SchoolGood
#37Riverside Primary SchoolGood
#38Rye Oak Primary SchoolGood
#39Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the BoroughGood
#40Snowsfields Primary SchoolGood
#41Southwark Park Primary SchoolGood
#42St Anthony's Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#43St Francis RC Primary SchoolGood
#44St George's Cathedral Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#45St George's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#46St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#47St James' Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#48St John the Divine Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#49St John's Roman Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#50St John's and St Clement's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#51St Paul's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#52St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#53The Belham Primary SchoolGood
#54Tower Bridge Primary SchoolGood
#55Victory Primary SchoolGood

Financials

Spending per pupil: £8,489 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

52nd of 64 primary schools in Southwark for spending per pupil

#50Michael Faraday School£8,739
#51Dulwich Wood Primary School£8,538
#52John Donne Primary School£8,489
#53St John's Roman Catholic Primary School£8,256
#54The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overie£8,222

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1St Jude's Church of England Primary School£16,656
#2Peter Hills with St Mary's and St Paul's CofE Primary School£15,946
#3Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park£13,512
#4Pilgrims' Way Primary School£13,193
#5Redriff Primary, City of London Academy£12,929
#6Rye Oak Primary School£12,472
#7Ilderton Primary School£12,052
#8Snowsfields Primary School£11,934
#9St George's Church of England Primary School£11,645
#10Robert Browning Primary School£11,512
#11Grange Primary School£11,380
#12Keyworth Primary School£11,247
#13St Peter's Church of England Primary School£11,228
#14Riverside Primary School£11,182
#15Bellenden Primary School£11,028
#16St Paul's Church of England Primary School£10,869
#17Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough£10,850
#18Victory Primary School£10,831
#19John Ruskin Primary School and Language Classes£10,714
#20Charles Dickens Primary School£10,520
#21Crawford Primary School£10,511
#22Bird In Bush School£10,496
#23Hollydale Primary School£10,240
#24Southwark Park Primary School£10,226
#25St John the Divine Church of England Primary School£10,106
#26Albion Primary School£10,103
#27Friars Primary Foundation School£10,085
#28Phoenix Primary School£10,067
#29St James' Church of England Primary School£10,054
#30Ivydale Primary School£9,958
#31Grove Primary School£9,710
#32St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School£9,698
#33Goodrich Community Primary School£9,696
#34Alfred Salter Primary School£9,599
#35English Martyrs' Roman Catholic Primary School£9,495
#36Crampton Primary£9,487
#37Oasis Academy Surrey Square£9,424
#38Bessemer Grange Primary School£9,395
#39Brunswick Park Primary School£9,350
#40Tower Bridge Primary School£9,238
#41Boutcher Church of England Primary School£9,223
#42Goose Green Primary and Nursery School£9,143
#43St Joseph's Catholic Primary School£9,125
#44Oliver Goldsmith Primary School£9,099
#45St Francis RC Primary School£9,088
#46Paxton Primary School£9,064
#47Rotherhithe Primary School£8,969
#48John Keats Primary School£8,917
#49Galleywall Primary, City of London Academy£8,811
#50Michael Faraday School£8,739
#51Dulwich Wood Primary School£8,538
#52John Donne Primary School£8,489
#53St John's Roman Catholic Primary School£8,256
#54The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overie£8,222
#55St Anthony's Catholic Primary School£7,958
#56The Belham Primary School£7,884
#57St John's and St Clement's Church of England Primary School£7,814
#58Lyndhurst Primary School£7,719
#59Harris Primary Academy East Dulwich£7,476
#60Heber Primary School£7,332
#61Judith Kerr Primary School£7,049
#62St George's Cathedral Catholic Primary School£5,252
#63Angel Oak Academy£4,811
#64St Joseph's Catholic Primary School£3,969

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

Have you rated John Donne Primary School yet? Your experience helps other parents.

Rate this school