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Southwark School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

1134^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,511 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Better than 25% of Pennsylvania elementary schools

Summary

Southwark School is an elementary school serving grades PK-8 in the Philadelphia City School District, with 966 students. While the school has consistently been ranked in the bottom 25% of Southwark School's academic performance has been a concern, with only 24.5% of students proficient or better in PSSA Math and 36.8% proficient or better in PSSA English Language Arts, compared to the district and state averages.

The school also struggles to effectively serve its diverse student population, ranking in the bottom 25% of Pennsylvania elementary schools for Asian, Hispanic, English Language Learner, Low Socioeconomic Status, and Disabled student subgroups on PSSA assessments. Additionally, Southwark School has had relatively high dropout rates in recent years, ranging from 0.0% to 5.5%, which are higher than the district and state averages. The school's lower per-student funding compared to nearby schools, such as Fanny Jackson Coppin School and Jenks Abram School, which have significantly higher academic achievement, may also be a contributing factor.

The consistent low performance and high dropout rates at Southwark School suggest a need for targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes. Strategies to address the specific needs of the school's diverse student population, such as enhanced English language instruction and additional academic support, could be beneficial in helping the school better support its students and community.

976

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,260

Per pupil spending ?

99%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1835 S 9th St
Philadelphia, PA 19148-1661

(215) 400-8400

District: Philadelphia City School District

Students who attend Southwark School usually attend:

High:

South Philadelphia High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

57.6%

Asian:

19.3%

White:

13.9%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Southwark School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 11th percentile in 2015 → 25th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Pennsylvania average (31% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (25th percentile)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg29%

Pennsylvania avg45%

Elementary school

1,134^th of 1,511

Pennsylvania public elementary schools ?

Bottom 25%▲ up 14 pts since 2015

From bottom 11% (2015) to bottom 25% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

561^st of 873

Pennsylvania public middle schools ?

Bottom 36%▲ up 19 pts since 2015

From bottom 17% (2015) to bottom 36% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

44^th of 148Elementary Schools in the Philadelphia City School District

473^rd of 606Philadelphia City School District among Pennsylvania districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	25.5	1134 of 1511	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.1	1271 of 1526	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	1241 of 1534	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.7	1257 of 1534	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.2	1264 of 1433	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.6	1309 of 1544	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	6.7	1409 of 1530	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.3	1406 of 1547	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	8.2	1401 of 1554	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.8	1318 of 1474	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	3.2	1389 of 1467	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	5.3	1410 of 1519	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	5.9	1508 of 1599	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	6.7	1525 of 1597	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	13.9	1427 of 1579	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	8.7	1448 of 1549	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	13.0	1410 of 1551	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	16.0	1383 of 1555	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	14.5	1384 of 1545	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	18.7	1110 of 1299	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	2.9	1228 of 1308	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2003	0.9	1277 of 1302	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	7.1	142 of 151	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.8	166 of 168	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.7	153 of 160	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	18.7	908 of 1030	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.9	1026 of 1084	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	38.8	112 of 207	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.7	174 of 200	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.0	111 of 196	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	27.2	1078 of 1466	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.1	1220 of 1488	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	24.0	336 of 429	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.2	409 of 454	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.6	377 of 432	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	24.6	1082 of 1369	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.3	1288 of 1432	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.0	1147 of 1414	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	24.0	1125 of 1475	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.8	1270 of 1495	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	78.0	229 of 1201	80.9%	★★★★☆
2024	65.4	419 of 1229	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.6	224 of 1236	81.9%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	35.7	561 of 873	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.3	671 of 891	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.9	658 of 893	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.1	646 of 883	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.9	675 of 797	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.5	636 of 891	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.4	692 of 861	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	18.7	694 of 877	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	13.7	722 of 870	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	13.9	692 of 835	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	6.7	659 of 728	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	7.6	678 of 758	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	13.4	736 of 834	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	14.2	733 of 825	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	21.7	683 of 805	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	27.9	625 of 770	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	20.1	641 of 753	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	21.6	629 of 749	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	14.5	647 of 736	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	5.2	644 of 687	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	4.2	619 of 663	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2003	5.1	598 of 643	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	13.1	126 of 138	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.4	140 of 145	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.3	134 of 144	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	20.3	572 of 643	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.8	405 of 672	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.5	440 of 660	33.3%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	68.1	21 of 145	85.5%	★★★★☆
2024	55.9	42 of 150	72.0%	★★★★☆
2023	48.4	54 of 143	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	33.0	556 of 835	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.7	646 of 860	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	38.1	200 of 348	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.4	278 of 362	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.3	284 of 362	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	47.0	439 of 843	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.8	623 of 877	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.8	565 of 874	35.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	37.1	518 of 839	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.8	676 of 870	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

White (2025)81st percentile+56 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)46th percentile+21 vs school

Female (2025)26th percentile~ school

Male (2025)24th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)22nd percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)21st percentile-4 vs school

Disabled (2025)12th percentile-13 vs school

Asian (2025)6th percentile-19 vs school

Middle school

English Language Learner (2025)86th percentile+50 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)48th percentile+12 vs school

Hispanic (2025)43rd percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)38th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)33rd percentile~ school

Disabled (2025)11th percentile-25 vs school

Asian (2025)9th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts37%-12 vs state

Math24%-17 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a student
Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Teachers were awful. Many of them don't teach. (I am not exaggerating. I had one teacher sleep while students played among themselves.) Bullying was a huge problem. Even with teachers who cared, classmates were often disruptive. Fighting was a weekly occurrence. Classes were uninspiring. Southwark ranks near the bottom of the state for a reason. Close Quote

Schools Near Southwark School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSSA Math (2025)							PSSA English Language Arts (2025)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southwark School	Public	PK, KG-8	1835 S 9th St	Philadelphia	19148	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8400	976	64	15.3	99.0%	136 (13.9%)	64 (6.6%)	562 (57.6%)	188 (19.3%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (2.5%)	25.5	1134^th of 1511 public elementary schools	25.0%		16.1	1271^st of 1526 public elementary schools	16.7%	137	38.7	33.7	23.7	18.6	20.4	14.0	24.5	34.1	31.6	28.1	37.1	46.6	41.6	36.8	$18,260	$5,851	$12,410
Kirkbride Eliza B School	Public	PK, KG-8	1501 S 7th St	Philadelphia	19147	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7980	522	37	14.2	96.6%	68 (13.0%)	30 (5.7%)	291 (55.7%)	105 (20.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.4%)	34.7	1032^nd of 1511 public elementary schools	31.7%		27.7	1129^th of 1526 public elementary schools	26.0%	97	44.4	30.0	24.5	28.0	40.8	27.8	32.4	40.0	45.8	30.6	45.1	32.6	38.9	38.9	$24,946	$12,868	$12,078
Key Francis Scott School	Public	K-6	2230 S 8th St	Philadelphia	19148	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8250	370	30	12.4	104.3%	21 (5.7%)	16 (4.3%)	226 (61.1%)	103 (27.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	18.8	1219^th of 1511 public elementary schools	19.3%		21.4	1197^th of 1526 public elementary schools	21.6%	22	29.1	25.0	20.4	25.0			24.9	21.8	27.2	22.2	34.0			25.8	$20,778	$6,521	$14,258
Fanny Jackson Coppin School	Public	PK, KG-8	1213 S 12th St	Philadelphia	19147	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7970	547	33	16.6	98.2%	252 (46.1%)	63 (11.5%)	136 (24.9%)	33 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (11.5%)	79.2	293^rd of 1511 public elementary schools	80.6%		67.3	550^th of 1526 public elementary schools	64.0%	257	75.0	69.1	56.3	53.9	55.0	44.2	59.6	66.0	72.8	45.8	65.6	65.0	62.8	63.4	$18,435	$6,739	$11,696
Christopher Columbus Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	South Building	Philadelphia	19147	Philadelphia County	Christopher Columbus Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 389-6000	829	59	14.0	29.9%	400 (48.3%)	162 (19.5%)	111 (13.4%)	113 (13.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (5.2%)	62.3	611^th of 1511 public elementary schools	59.6%		58.5	734^th of 1526 public elementary schools	51.9%	123	49.5	34.6	67.5	42.0	53.1	21.6	44.3	56.2	45.7	56.6	68.0	71.6	65.6	60.7	$172	$80	$92
Jenks Abram School	Public	K-5	2501 S 13th St	Philadelphia	19148	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8240	278	20	13.8	91.7%	103 (37.1%)	36 (12.9%)	27 (9.7%)	92 (33.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.2%)	84.7	203^rd of 1511 public elementary schools	86.6%		76.3	364^th of 1526 public elementary schools	76.1%	161	70.9	73.1	65.2				70.5	68.8	73.2	69.6				70.5	$21,241	$6,733	$14,508
Vare-Washington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1198 S 5th St	Philadelphia	19147	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8120	375	33	11.3	87.7%	102 (27.2%)	76 (20.3%)	127 (33.9%)	39 (10.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (8.0%)	40.2	962^nd of 1511 public elementary schools	36.3%		41.6	991^st of 1526 public elementary schools	35.1%	29	52.4	26.0	19.3	17.8	45.7	27.3	33.7	50.0	34.8	35.5	64.3	62.8	36.4	48.6	$19,566	$6,614	$12,951
Taggart John High School	Public	PK, KG-8	400 W Porter St	Philadelphia	19148	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8290	529	39	13.6	99.1%	27 (5.1%)	43 (8.1%)	224 (42.3%)	202 (38.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.2%)	29.1	1095^th of 1511 public elementary schools	27.5%		27.5	1131^st of 1526 public elementary schools	25.9%	36	20.0	39.2	48.9	18.7	31.6	29.1	31.2	15.5	26.1	48.8	30.2	53.3	43.6	37.4	$18,105	$5,832	$12,273
Sharswood George School	Public	PK, KG-8	2300 S 2nd St	Philadelphia	19148	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8270	364	34	10.8	97.0%	138 (37.9%)	35 (9.6%)	98 (26.9%)	63 (17.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.0%)	30.9	1075^th of 1511 public elementary schools	28.9%		20.4	1212^th of 1526 public elementary schools	20.6%	137	41.9	22.7	19.4	12.9	19.1	14.9	21.1	54.8	36.4	29.1	43.4	53.2	36.2	42.8	$20,115	$6,822	$13,294
Fell D Newlin School	Public	K-8	900 W Oregon Ave	Philadelphia	19148	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8260	530	37	14.2	100.8%	96 (18.1%)	52 (9.8%)	182 (34.3%)	187 (35.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.5%)	43.7	918^th of 1511 public elementary schools	39.2%		41	997^th of 1526 public elementary schools	34.7%	79	61.0	44.3	21.2	29.1	32.0	36.0	35.9	47.5	40.4	36.5	51.6	47.2	59.6	48.5	$18,924	$6,815	$12,109

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwark School

What schools do graduates of Southwark School attend?

Students who attend Southwark School usually go on to attend:

High : South Philadelphia High School

Is Southwark School a good school?

Southwark School ranks in the bottom 25.0% of Pennsylvania elementary schools.

What district is Southwark School in?

Philadelphia City School District

How many students attend Southwark School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 976 students attended Southwark School.

What is the racial makeup of Southwark School?

Students at Southwark School are 58% Hispanic, 19% Asian, 14% White, 7% African American, 2% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.