Lower Sydenham
Summary
Lower Sydenham (E02000687) is part of Lewisham local authority (view on map). Lower Sydenham has an approximate population of 8,300 people, of which 19% are children 15 years old and under. It is classified as "urban: nearer to a major town or city".
Lower Sydenham neighbours Penge East, Crystal Palace Park, Perry Vale, Bellingham & Perry Hill, Sydenham Wells, and Beckenham Hill.
Guidance and data sources
Local area pages are based on the middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) distributed across the country. MSOAs comprise between 2,000 and 6,000 households and have a resident population of, generally, between 5,000 and 15,000 people. MSOAs fit within local authorities. For each area, descriptive statistics are compared with local authority and national averages. For more information about MSOAs, please visit the Office for National Statistics website.
The data displayed is sourced from:
Deprivation
Lower Sydenham is the 14th least deprived area in Lewisham (out of 37) with 37% of children living in low-income families, compared to 42% across Lewisham and 38% nationally.
State-funded pupil characteristics
Information acquired from the school census.
Free school meals
In Lower Sydenham, 28% of state-funded pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared to 30% in Lewisham and 27% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals
Table showing the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals
| % in Lower Sydenham | % in Lewisham | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals | 28% | 30% | 27% |
| Not eligible for free school meals | 72% | 70% | 73% |
Special educational needs
In Lower Sydenham, 20% of pupils in state-funded settings have special educational needs (SEN), compared to 21% in Lewisham, and 19% nationally.
This includes the number of pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan and the number of pupils with SEN support.
Contents
Percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools
Table showing the percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools
| % in Lower Sydenham | % in Lewisham | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No special educational needs | 80% | 79% | 81% |
| Receiving special educational needs support | 14% | 15% | 14% |
| With an education, health, and care plan (EHCP) | 6% | 6% | 5% |
Ethnicity
In Lower Sydenham, 60% of pupils are from a minority ethnic background, compared to 63% in Lewisham, and 33% nationally.
Percentages may not sum to 100%, due to small values being suppressed.
Contents
Percentage of pupils by major ethnic groups
Table
| % in Lower Sydenham | % in Lewisham | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 35% | 36% | 67% |
| Asian | 5% | 7% | 14% |
| Black | 31% | 30% | 7% |
| Mixed | 19% | 18% | 7% |
| Other | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| Not known | 5% | 4% | 2% |
English as an additional language
The percentage of pupils in Lower Sydenham with English as an additional language is 22%, compared with 33% in Lewisham, and 22% nationally.
Numbers may not sum to 100%, due to a small number of pupils with an unclassified language.
Contents
Percentage of pupils with English as an additional language
Table
| % in Lower Sydenham | % in Lewisham | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Known or believed to be other than English | 22% | 33% | 22% |
| Known or believed to be English | 78% | 67% | 78% |
Provider information
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Registered childcare providers
Lower Sydenham has 14 registered childcare providers.
| Type | Number in Lower Sydenham |
|---|---|
| All childcare providers | 14 |
| Childminders | 8 |
| Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care | 6 |
There have been no inspections of childcare providers in Lower Sydenham since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.
State-funded schools
Lower Sydenham has 2 state-funded schools.
| Type | Number in Lower Sydenham |
|---|---|
| All state-funded schools | 2 |
| Nursery schools | 0 |
| Primary and all-through schools | 2 |
| Secondary and all-through schools | 0 |
| Special schools | 0 |
| Registered alternative provision | 0 |
There have been no inspections of schools in Lower Sydenham since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.
Data sources: