Getting a good start can change everything. Having a proper breakfast will put you in better stead for the day, making a good first impression can give you a positive reputation that sticks around, and going to one of the country’s best primary schools can set you up for life.
There are 16,764 primary schools in England, so being in the top ten is massively impressive. Those which do make the top ranks have to be excellent in almost all regards, turning out students with high maths and English literacy levels and consistently achieving good scores in Sats exams. This is especially important post-Covid, as children across the board are currently achieving 65 per cent worse than their peers did in 2019.
In order to help you choose where to send your kids next September, the Sunday Times Parent Power Guide has ranked England’s top 1000 primary schools, based on English, maths, and grammar scores from the past year. Things have changed a lot for early learners in the past five years, so the most successful schools now prioritise wellbeing as well as academics.
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In the top spot was Hampden Gurney CofE Primary School in Westminster. Its ethos encourages students to, ‘recognise their individual talents and gifts,’ and runs after school clubs in a huge variety of extra-curriculars, from coding to drama. They focus on ensuring all children feel safe and heard, on top of ensuring high standards of learning. Find out more about Hampden Gurney’s triumph here.
Similarly, Lowbrook Academy in Maidenhead, which came second, says that sporting and artistic activities are at the ‘soul’ of the school. They’ve also built a special ‘wellbeing room’ to manage the massive increase in mental health difficulties amongst young children since the pandemic. The school even has a dog – Rosie – who helps bring some of the more shy kids out of their shells.
Of the top 10 schools, only six are in or around London, which, despite being more than half, is still fewer than the eight out of ten which appeared in the Sunday Times’ secondary school rankings.
The top 10 primary schools in England
- Hampden Gurney CofE Primary School – Westminster, London
- Lowbrook Academy – Maidenhead, Berkshire
- St Stephen’s Primary School – East Ham, London
- St Andrew’s Roman Catholic Primary School – Streatham, London
- Judith Kerr Primary School – Southwark, London
- St Ives Primary and Nursery School – St Ives, Cornwall
- The Russell School – Richmond, Surrey
- Carlton Junior and Infant School – Dewsbury, Yorkshire
- Hartwell Primary School – Northampton
- South Farnham School – Farnham
You can read the Sunday Times’ entire list of the country’s 1000 top performing primaries here.
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See which comprehensive state schools ranked highly on the Sunday Times Power Guide here, and the best selective and grammar schools, according to the same guide. If you want to check out other league tables, these are the UK's best state secondary schools based on 2024 GCSE results, according to Which School Advisor.
We've also got a list of England's 10 best private schools based on this year's A-level and GCSE results, with the best private school in the country being in London. And if you’re already planning ahead, you might want to check out which school is the best for getting students Oxbridge offers.
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