The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 25% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Southwark Sch
Southwark School serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Philadelphia's Southwark neighborhood, a part of South Philadelphia near the Delaware River. The school has a small early-childhood section and a majority of students in the elementary and middle grades, reflecting the neighborhood's residential character.
The student body is ethnically diverse, with students of Hispanic, Asian, white, and Black descent, in that order of representation. All students at Southwark qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is typical for Philadelphia public schools serving low-income neighborhoods. The school operates as a regular public school within the Philadelphia City School District, the district currently undergoing a major set of curriculum adoptions and a significant facilities reorganization that will close and consolidate schools across the city over the next several years.
On Pennsylvania's standardized tests in grades three through eight, Southwark's reading proficiency is below the midpoint for students in its grade range. The latest available science result, from two school years ago, showed proficiency around the same level as reading. Math proficiency is notably lower than reading. These data reflect a school struggling to move students to grade-level performance across subjects. Parents may want to ask the school directly about what specific reading and math interventions are in place, how the school is adjusting to the district's new curriculum adoption (which began in the past two school years), and what the trajectory looks like for students below grade level.
The neighborhood around Southwark sits in a mixed urban setting with modest median home values and rents. Philadelphia as a whole is in a period of modest growth, concentrated in Center City neighborhoods north and west of Southwark. The broader city offers strong walkability, extensive public transit, a large park system, and a major healthcare and education presence anchored by the University of Pennsylvania and major health systems. The local property tax landscape has shifted; the city recently increased school funding and raised its homestead exemption, which affects homeowners' tax burden and the district's revenue.
For families considering Southwark, the central questions are whether the school's current academic support matches their child's needs and how they view the school's responsiveness to reading and math instruction. The Philadelphia district is in transition with new curricula and facility plans, which creates both instability and opportunity depending on how individual schools execute the changes.
See more original research from School Decision →