St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, Dulwich Review 2026: High-attaining Catholic primary with a long local footprint

Set up for families who want a strongly academic primary experience within a Catholic ethos, this Dulwich school combines a two-form structure with consistently high outcomes at the end of Year 6. The numbers are eye-catching: in 2024, 92.7% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, far above the England average of 62%. Performance also translates well into rankings, with a FindMySchool primary performance position of 584th in England and 9th locally in Southwark (a placement that indicates results well above England average, within the top 10% nationally by this measure).

Leadership is stable. Mrs Joanne Hawthorne has been headteacher since September 2018, and the school is now part of St Benedict Catholic Academy Trust.

The school’s identity is rooted in two things: its Catholic character, and its long continuity as a local institution. The history published by the school traces the opening to 21 November 1883, which gives it a rare sense of time depth for a London primary. The same history also describes major change without a change of purpose, including the move into the Etherow Street building in 1965 and a substantial redevelopment completed in 2013.

Day to day, Catholic life is designed to be visible rather than tokenistic. Pupils take part in assemblies and class liturgies, there are regular whole-school Masses, and classes also attend Mass with the parish of St Thomas More on Wednesdays. Prayer marks the rhythm of the day, including before lunch, and pupils can take on roles through Mini Vinnies, with representatives from each Key Stage Two class.

The school’s internal language also hints at the culture. The most recent inspection report refers to values that pupils can explain and adults reinforce through routines and rewards, including recognition for consideration, achievement, respect and effort. A small detail that matters for parents is that behaviour and relationships are described as positive and orderly, with staff responding quickly to worries, including bullying concerns.

Nursery sits within this wider culture rather than feeling bolted on. The published timings show it operating alongside the main school day, with structured morning and afternoon sessions, and the option of a full day. (For specific nursery charges and eligibility-linked arrangements, use the school’s admissions page.)

The headline story is a very high level of attainment at Key Stage 2.

In 2024, 92.7% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 41.3% reached greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%. Reading and mathematics scaled scores were both 110 and 109 respectively, also comfortably above typical national benchmarks.

These outcomes feed into the school’s FindMySchool ranking profile. Ranked 584th in England and 9th in Southwark for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), it sits well above England average, within the top 10% of schools in England by this measure.

A final point for parents: high attainment only matters if it is sustained across the cohort, not driven by a narrow group. The same data shows strong expected-standard coverage across individual subjects too, including reading and maths at 95%, grammar, punctuation and spelling at 88%, and science at 91% in 2024.

Parents comparing nearby primaries often find it helpful to use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view rankings and attainment side by side across Southwark, then sanity-check shortlist choices against admissions criteria.

The inspection evidence and the school’s own curriculum information align on a clear theme: English and maths are strongly structured, and early reading is taken seriously from the start.

Phonics is explicitly identified as a planned programme, including the use of Little Wandle Letters and Sounds. What matters in practice is the way it is implemented. The most recent inspection report describes staff matching reading books carefully to pupils’ phonics knowledge, intervening quickly when pupils fall behind, and building confident reading habits as pupils move through the school.

Mathematics is also described as carefully sequenced, with key knowledge identified so teachers can build on prior learning. Parents of high-attaining pupils usually want to know whether learning is stretched rather than repeated. The inspection report indicates that teachers deliberately connect new topics to earlier concepts, which is exactly the kind of practice that supports higher-standard outcomes later on.

Beyond English and maths, the curriculum breadth looks purposeful. The inspection report lists a wide range of subjects, including French, history, geography, art and music. The most useful nuance for parents is that the report also flags an improvement point: in some subjects, the key component knowledge pupils need is not always identified and assessed as clearly as it is in English and mathematics. That is not a red flag, it is a common developmental issue in primary curriculum design, but it is worth asking about if you want reassurance on how subject knowledge builds over time.

Nursery and Reception are not treated as separate worlds. The school day information shows the nursery sessions running alongside the main school timings, while the inspection narrative points to early reading beginning in the early years, with smooth transition into Year 1.

For a primary school, “next steps” is as much about readiness and confidence as it is about any particular destination. The curriculum and pastoral picture here suggests pupils leave with strong core knowledge, secure literacy and numeracy, and a clear sense of routine.

The most recent inspection report explicitly states that pupils are well prepared for their next steps, and it links that preparation to the structured approach in reading and mathematics.

In practical terms, pupils from this part of Southwark tend to progress to a mixture of local secondaries across Southwark and neighbouring areas. The school does not publish a definitive destination list for Year 7 transfers, so families should start with their Local Authority secondary admissions guidance, then speak to current parents about common pathways. If you are shortlisting, the FindMySchool Saved Schools feature is a simple way to keep primary and likely secondary options in one place, and to track open events and deadlines.

Reception admissions are high-demand. For the most recent published intake route, there were 104 applications and 44 offers, which is about 2.36 applications per place. That level of oversubscription means families should treat admission as the limiting factor, not the quality of education once a place is secured.

For September 2026 entry, the school’s published guidance makes the route clear: apply through the Local Authority’s coordinated process, and also submit the school’s supplementary faith documentation if you want your application considered under Catholic practice criteria. The on-time application deadline for Reception entry in September 2026 was 15 January 2026, with offers scheduled for 19 April 2026.

Open events are shown on the school website as tours clustered through the autumn term, with booking required. Because tour dates can change year to year and the site may display dates that have already passed, treat the pattern as “typically September to January”, then check the latest listings before making plans.

Nursery entry is separate from Reception and tends to operate with its own application form. The school publishes nursery session times and a pathway for applying, but parents should rely on the admissions page for the current year’s details and any funding-linked requirements.

A governance note that may matter to some parents: the school is now an academy within St Benedict Catholic Academy Trust, with an academy conversion letter dated 08 May 2024 recorded by Ofsted.

The inspection evidence is clear on the basics parents care about: pupils feel safe, behaviour is calm and considerate, and staff respond quickly when pupils raise concerns. Safeguarding is explicitly recorded as effective.

Wellbeing is not framed as an add-on. The same inspection report describes staff focus on mental health, including helping pupils talk about managing stress, and giving pupils confidence about keeping safe online. This matters because high-performing primaries can sometimes carry hidden pressure. Here, the evidence suggests adults are attentive to emotional load, and that pastoral language is integrated into normal school life rather than reserved for crisis moments.

SEND support is also referenced as mainstreamed rather than separated. Teachers are described as knowing pupils’ needs well, adapting so pupils with SEND can access the full curriculum, and maintaining the same ambition for what pupils can learn.

For parents, the best indicator of an extracurricular programme is specificity rather than scale. The inspection report gives useful concrete examples: pupils can choose activities such as dodgeball, Spanish and gymnastics. That matters because it shows a mix of sport, language, and general fitness opportunities rather than a single-track menu.

Wraparound provision is also part of the wider offer. Breakfast Club runs 08:00 to 08:30 on weekdays and After School Club runs 15:30 to 18:00, with structured activities including games, crafts, cookery and storytelling. These are paid clubs, with fees published by the school for both breakfast and after-school sessions.

Curriculum enrichment bleeds into “beyond the classroom” too. The school explicitly references Forest School for pupils in Reception to Year 2, and swimming lessons for pupils in Years 3 to 5, which can be a meaningful part of physical confidence and independence.

Faith-linked activities add another layer. Mini Vinnies is a distinctive feature, with Key Stage Two representatives taking an active role in Catholic life and mission, and fundraising links to named charities. For families who value service and community contribution as part of schooling, that is more persuasive than generic statements about values.

The school publishes a detailed weekly time total and a clear daily structure. Pupils are expected to arrive by 08:45, registration is by 08:50, and the school day ends at 15:30. The published timetable also shows phased playtimes and lunch sittings across key stages.

Wraparound care is available at both ends of the day. Breakfast Club runs 08:00 to 08:30, and After School Club runs 15:30 to 18:00 on weekdays.

On term structure, the school publishes term dates and inset days for the academic year, which is useful for planning childcare and travel.

• Admission pressure at Reception. With 104 applications and 44 offers in the most recent published intake route, the numbers point to real competition. If this is your first-choice school, put equal effort into understanding your back-up options.

• Catholic life is central. Weekly Mass attendance with the parish, regular whole-school Masses, and daily prayer are part of ordinary routines. This can be a strong fit for practising Catholic families, but it is not a light-touch faith label.

• Curriculum consistency beyond English and maths. The inspection evidence is very strong for reading and mathematics, but it also flags that curriculum sequencing and assessment are not as consistently defined in every subject. Ask how subject leaders are tightening curriculum progression, especially in foundation subjects.

• Nursery logistics need checking. Nursery operates with its own session structure and admissions pathway, and there are funding-linked arrangements. Parents should confirm the latest expectations directly from the school’s published nursery admissions guidance.

This is a high-performing Southwark primary with a clear Catholic identity and a stable leadership story under Mrs Joanne Hawthorne (appointed in 2018). Academic outcomes at the end of Year 6 are among the strongest signals you will see in the state sector, and the evidence base supports a structured approach to early reading and maths. The key constraint is getting in, not what happens once your child is on roll.

Who it suits: families who want a faith-grounded primary education, value strong academic structure, and can commit to the Local Authority admissions process plus any supplementary faith documentation required.