At a Glance
A Norwood zoned elementary where parent and teacher trust run unusually high, even as attendance and test scores tell a more complicated story.
Best suited for
Families zoned for the school who want a full-inclusion, community-trust-rich elementary and are prepared to focus on getting their child to school every day — especially families who value being part of a tight, culturally diverse neighborhood school rather than chasing a higher test-score rating elsewhere.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- Math proficiency above the district average, with fifth grade hitting 53.6%
- 100% teacher-principal trust and 95% parent satisfaction — among the strongest survey scores in District 10
- Essentially zero discipline: just one suspension across the last three reported years
- 25% IEP enrollment reflecting a meaningful inclusion of students with disabilities
- A student body more than 83% Hispanic and Asian combined, with real cultural diversity
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism at 60.6% is the single biggest flag — worth asking the school what they're doing to address it
- ELA proficiency trails the district average and test scores have swung 10+ points year to year
- PTA fundraising is just $8 per student, far below the district average of $74 — limited parent-dollar capacity for extras
- Stronger-rated zoned alternatives exist within District 10 (P.S. 024 at 92/100, P.S. 081 at 88/100) if your address allows
- Average class size of nearly 23 students is in line with the district but still on the larger side
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 10
Within District 10, P.S. 056 sits in the middle of the pack — its overall score of 1.81/4 edges out the district average of 1.77/4, but it trails clearly behind the higher-rated zoned options like P.S. 024 and P.S. 081. It's a typical neighborhood school doing modestly above the district floor without breaking into the top tier.
Academics
Math is the bright spot here: 47% proficiency versus the district average of 43.5%, with fifth grade particularly strong at 53.6%. ELA at 43.4% runs a touch below the district average of 45%, and both subjects have been historically volatile — 2019 was a peak year (58% ELA, 56% math) before scores crashed in 2022 and have since oscillated. The 2025 results suggest a modest rebound off last year's dip, but the year-to-year swings of 10-plus points signal that cohort effects matter a lot here.
Culture
The survey numbers at P.S. 056 are unusually high — 95% parent satisfaction, 98% on instruction quality, and 100% of teachers trust the principal — yet 60.6% of students are chronically absent, meaning more than half miss 10% or more of the school year. That gap is worth sitting with: families feel heard and relationships between home and school appear strong, but getting kids physically through the door every day is a real challenge. Discipline is essentially a non-issue, with just one suspension recorded in 2023-24.
Community
Two-thirds of P.S. 056 students are Hispanic and another 20% are Asian, with smaller Black, White, and multiracial populations — a community whose demographics reflect Norwood's working-class Bronx character. The school serves a high-need population: the economic need index of 88.6 means most families qualify for free lunch, and a notable 25% of students have IEPs, suggesting a strong inclusion culture. The neighborhood around it skews lower-income (median household income $47,299) and overwhelmingly renter-occupied.
Neighborhood
Norwood is a densely settled Bronx neighborhood where about 18% of households include children and homeownership is just 4.5% — a renter majority with a working-class economic profile. Nearly a quarter of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 27% of residents live below the poverty line, and the median home value sits around $460,000 even with low ownership. The neighborhood has a strong family presence despite the modest incomes.
The closest subway is Norwood-205 St on the D, about a 5-minute walk from the school; Burke Av and Gun Hill Rd on the 2/5 are each roughly 10 minutes on foot.
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 289 families responded (49% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Kindergarten
P.S. 056 Norwood Heights has an attendance zone. At elementary level, in-zone students get a guaranteed seat. Every family still applies on MySchools: the application confirms the zoned seat, and ranking other schools doesn't cost you it.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Check that your address is inside the zone — zones change, so confirm it before you sign a lease.
- 2Apply during the kindergarten application, even with a zoned seat.
- 3Rank this school along with any others you'd take, in true preference order.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is P.S. 056 Norwood Heights a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 056 Norwood Heights earns an overall rating of 45/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run in line with the District 10 average.
- What grades does P.S. 056 Norwood Heights serve?
- P.S. 056 Norwood Heights serves grades K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 056 Norwood Heights?
- P.S. 056 Norwood Heights admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 056 Norwood Heights public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 056 Norwood Heights is a public school in NYC Community School District 10.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 056 Norwood Heights in?
- P.S. 056 Norwood Heights is in Norwood, Bronx.