Buckingham Primary School

About Buckingham Primary School

Of the 84 parents who responded to Ofsted's Parent View survey between September 2024 and September 2025, 89% said they would recommend Buckingham Primary School to other parents. That's a strong vote of confidence, and it's backed up by the detail: 95% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and 97% felt their child is safe. The school is clearly popular with local families too — for the 2025/26 intake, it received 73 applications for just 28 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.61. All 28 first-preference applicants were offered a place, meaning if you put it top of your list, you stand a decent chance. The school is a mixed, state primary for ages 3 to 11 in Richmond upon Thames, led by headteacher Caroline Boyle. It has a nursery provision and a non-religious character, and 38.7% of its 409 pupils are eligible for free school meals.

Academically, Buckingham Primary sits in the bottom half of schools nationally and within its local authority. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 62% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — well below the Richmond upon Thames average of 76%. The school ranks 35th out of 38 primary schools in the borough. Looking at individual subjects, 75% met the expected standard in reading, 74% in writing and 71% in maths, with average scores of 105 in reading and 104 in maths. Only 5% of pupils reached the higher standard across all three subjects. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2024, the school was rated Good across all areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — a consistent improvement from its previous Good rating in 2015, where early years provision was noted as Requires Improvement.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, sensory room, forest school, art studios and a dining hall. Sports on offer include dance, athletics, rounders, swimming and cricket, while clubs range from choir and drama to science and art club. For children with additional needs, the school lists provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, and autistic spectrum disorder. However, the Parent View data shows some mixed feelings here: 53% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that SEND children get the support they need, while 30% disagreed or strongly disagreed. Buckingham Primary is a good fit for families who value a strong sense of community and safety, and who are comfortable with a school that sits below the local academic average but offers a broad range of activities and a clear commitment to personal development.

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