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England’s 10 best primary schools in 2024 have been crowned by the Times

The newspaper looked at SATs scores to reveal the very best schools for your little ’uns

Amy Houghton
Written by
Amy Houghton
Contributing writer
Primary school coats and pegs
Photograph: Shutterstock
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Ah primary school, what a time! Tray-bakes and custard, hula hoops, own-clothes days, ear piercing recorder lessons, Christmas plays and best of all, no adult responsibilities. Now, lots of the primary school kids of the ’90s and ’00s are probably responsible for choosing a school for their own little ’uns. 

There are more than 16,000 primary schools across the UK, so there’s plenty of choice out there. Still, some parents will go to great lengths to ensure that their child gets into the best of them. Wondering which ones are indeed the best? The Sunday Times Parent Power league table has your answer. 

The Times has revealed its pick of the top 10 primary schools in England, based on the percentage of pupils who achieved their expected grade in the 2023 SATs tests. It looked at average SATs scores in English, grammar, and maths, and then created an overall average to find the school’s position. Two thirds of the highest performers were in the south of England, mostly dominated by London institutions. 

So, without further ado, these are England’s top 10 primary schools right now, according to the times.

Top 10 primary schools in England 2024, according to the Times

  1. Hampden Gurney CofE Primary School, Westminster
  2. Lowbrook Academy, Maidenhead  
  3. St Stephen’s RC Primary School, East Ham
  4. St Andrew’s RC Primary School, Streatham
  5. Judith Kerr Primary School, Southwark 
  6. St Ives Primary and Nursery School, St Ives
  7. The Russell School, Hertfordshire
  8. Carlton Junior and Infant School, Dewsbury
  9. Hartwell Primary School, Hartwell 
  10. South Farnham School, Farnham 

You can find out where London schools placed in the list here.

Get schooled with Time Out

Got a big kid heading to high school next year?  Have a look at this list of the UK’s 10 best state secondary schools and this one of England’s 10 best private schools. If you’re interested in university rankings, we’ve covered those too. Take your pick from Times Higher Educationthe Sunday Times 2025 rankingthe Daily Mail, the Guardian or the Academic Ranking of World Universities

Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.  

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