Area Report

Last updated 05 OCT 2026

SE21 8NS

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NestScope Score

81/ 100

An above-average neighbourhood

Better off than 5 in 10 neighbourhoods in England.

How the score works

A middling, mixed part of Southwark: a school rated Outstanding 0.1 miles away, Sydenham Hill Rail Station 0.2 miles off, putting roughly 6.0 sq mi within half an hour by public transport and more recorded crime than most of England.

95Schools 63Safety 83Health 90Transport 100Green 90Amenities

Outstanding school · 0.1 mi
Sydenham Hill · 0.2 mi
More crime than most of England

Look up another postcode

TrySW1A 1AA M1 1AE BS1 1HT

01 — Snapshot

Around SE21 8NS.

The large figure is how many we found nearby; the chip beside each label is that category’s NestScope score out of 100 — higher beats more of the UK. Each factor looks a different distance around the postcode — how this is put together.

Schools95

Are the schools any good?

61Good/Outstanding within 2 miles

89 schools in total

4Nursery

59Primary

15Secondary

0Post-16 & universities

11All-through

12 Outstanding49 Good3 Requires improvement0 Inadequate25 not yet graded

IMD education decile 9/10

Closest

1Dulwich Prep & SeniorAges 2–16All-throughIndependent0.1 mi 2Kingsdale Foundation SchoolAges 11–19SecondaryOutstanding0.1 mi 3Dulwich Wood Primary SchoolAges 4–11PrimaryGood0.2 mi 4Dulwich Wood Nursery SchoolAges 2–5NurseryGood0.3 mi 5Elm Wood SchoolAges 3–11Primary0.4 mi 6Dulwich CollegeAges 0–19All-throughIndependent0.4 mi

Nearest top-rated

Safety63

Is it safe?

9crimes last month within 0.25 miles

A middling picture on recorded crime

Violent2

ASB3

Shoplifting0

Public order1

Vehicle1

Burglary0

England median for an urban postcode · full bar = 50 a month

IMD crime decile 2/10

Crimes reported last month · UK Police API

Healthcare83

Can I see a GP?

20GP & hospitals within 1.5 miles

Everyday healthcare is right on hand

20GP

0Hospital

19Pharmacy

21Dentist

IMD health decile 7/10

Nearest

Transport90

Can I get to work?

Among the best-connected areas in the UK

1Train

0Overground

0Metro & tram

0Ferry

23Bus

Stations

1Sydenham Hill Rail Station0.2 mi

·23 bus stopsnearest 0.26 mi

NestReachreal roads and timetables, not a circle on a map

How far can you get from SE21 8NS?

By car · 30 min153 sq mi

about the size of the Isle of Wight · less far than 9 in 10 postcodes in England

Bus & rail · 30 min6.0 sq mi

a little bigger than Heathrow Airport · further than 8 in 10 postcodes in England

England median · full bar = 2,000 km² by car, 20 km² by bus & rail

By carreaches 15 towns · ····· · ····· · ·····

Bus & railreaches 11 stations · ····· · ····· · ·····

Green space100

How green is it?

88green spaces within 1 mile

Very green — open space all around

Parks & facilities100144.7 ha of parkland — about 207 football pitches · largest park 30.5 ha, 0.09 mi away

Countryside56Sydenham Hill Wood And Fern Bank (nature reserve) covers 4% of the mile around

14Parks

35Playgrounds

2Fields

22Sports

7Allotments

1Golf

Nearest

Amenities90

Can I get the shopping done?

58shops & libraries within 2 miles

Everyday shopping on the doorstep

1Cook

12Tesco

5Budgens

7Co-op

12Sainsbury's

3Iceland

10Library

Nearest

·Library

Getting a school place

In Southwark, 73% of secondary-school applicants were offered their first-preference school (93% got one of their top three) for 2024/25 entry. For primary places, 89% got their first preference (98% one of their top three).

Local-authority figures (DfE applications & offers) — how competitive it is to get a place across Southwark, not a per-school number.

02 — Environment

Environment & risk near SE21 8NS.

Official risk flags for context — deliberately not part of the NestScope score (they’re categorical hazards, not amenities). Flood zones, air quality & noise explained.

03 — House prices

Sold prices in SE21.

Average sold price by property type across the SE21 district, 2021–2026.

04 — Write-up

About SE21 8NS

SE21 8NS scores 81/100 on the NestScope Score, with its strongest showing in green space and schools — right beside a nature reserve. The breakdown below draws on official UK data covering schools, safety, healthcare, transport, environment and local amenities.

In national context, SE21 8NS is an above-average neighbourhood — IMD decile 6/10, ranked 16,984 of 32,844 neighbourhoods in England. The Index of Multiple Deprivation is the UK government's official measure of relative deprivation, refreshed roughly every five years. Housing pressure here is high (IMD housing decile 4/10).

There are 89 schools within the typical catchment area, including 12 rated Outstanding by Ofsted and 49 rated Good. The nearest school is Dulwich Prep & Senior, within a short walk.

There were 9 crimes reported on the surrounding streets in the most recent month, indicating a low level of immediate-area crime.

Healthcare access is good, with 20 GP surgeries and 21 dental practices in the wider neighbourhood. The nearest GP practice is PAXTON GREEN GROUP PRACTICE, 0.4 mi away. A pharmacy is 0.5 mi away.

View SE21 8NS on the map Compare with another area Living in Southwark Turn your shortlist into one report

05 — Method

How this NestScope Score works.

Anchored on official IMD data — decile 6/10, ranked 16,984 of 32,844 neighbourhoods in England. What is an area score?

We map what’s nearby. Schools, safety, healthcare, transport, green space and amenities around SE21 8NS — each measured at its own radius, from a 0.25-mile crime count to a 2-mile school catchment.

We blend in national context. Every local factor is combined with England’s Index of Multiple Deprivation, so a postcode is judged both on what’s actually nearby and on how the wider neighbourhood compares nationally.

One score, six visible factors. Schools, Safety, Healthcare, Transport, Green space and Amenities each get their own 0–100 score; the six combine into the single NestScope Score above. No black box — see the full methodology.

06 — Questions

Is SE21 8NS a good place to live?

SE21 8NS scores 81/100 on the NestScope Score, and nationally it is an above-average neighbourhood. It is strongest on green space (100/100) and weakest on safety (63/100) — which of those matters more is your call, not the score's.

How many schools are near SE21 8NS?

There are 89 schools within a 2-mile catchment of SE21 8NS, including 12 rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Data from DfE GIAS / Ofsted, compiled by NestScope.

Is SE21 8NS safe?

9 crimes were reported within 0.25 mi of SE21 8NS in the most recent month of UK Police API data. The area sits in IMD crime decile 6/10 nationally. For detailed crime breakdowns, visit the NestScope interactive map.

What transport is near SE21 8NS?

Transport within 0.5 miles of SE21 8NS includes 1 train station, 23 bus stops. Data from NaPTAN, mapped by NestScope. About 6.0 sq mi is reachable from SE21 8NS within 30 minutes by bus and rail (NestReach).

What is the NestScope Score for SE21 8NS?

SE21 8NS has a NestScope Score of 81/100 — an above-average neighbourhood. The score blends six local factors — schools, safety, healthcare, transport, green space and amenities — with England's Index of Multiple Deprivation for national context. See the full methodology for how it's calculated.

How far around SE21 8NS does NestScope look?

NestScope draws on data at a different radius for each factor around SE21 8NS: schools within 2 miles, supermarkets and libraries within 2 miles, GP surgeries and hospitals within 1.5 miles, transport stops within 0.5 miles, green space within 1 mile, and crime within 0.25 miles. These radii reflect how people actually reach each type of place.

Keep exploring

Compiled by NestScope (nestscope.uk) from DfE/Ofsted · UK Police API · NHS ODS · NaPTAN · Ordnance Survey · Geolytix. Crown Copyright / OGL. Cite as: NestScope — SE21 8NS area report, nestscope.uk/area/SE21+8NS. SE21 8NS is in Southwark. Look up any postcode: nestscope.uk/area/YOUR+POSTCODE — e.g. SW1A 1AA, M1 1AE, BS1 1HT.