Essendine Primary School

About Essendine Primary School

Essendine Primary School sits squarely in the middle of the pack in Westminster, ranking 18th out of 31 primary schools in the borough. That places it just above the median, but its headline Key Stage 2 metric tells a slightly stronger story: 75% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is a fraction above the local authority average of 74%. In a competitive London borough where ten schools are rated Outstanding, Essendine’s solidly Good Ofsted rating and middle-of-the-table ranking might not grab headlines, but the school is performing in line with—and in one key measure slightly ahead of—its immediate peers. The gap is narrow, but it’s worth noting that the school achieves this with a pupil intake where over half (50.4%) are eligible for free school meals, a figure well above the national average and one that often correlates with lower outcomes elsewhere.

Digging into the 2023/24 SATs results, the picture becomes more nuanced. While the combined expected standard figure is respectable, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and maths together is just 15%, which is low. However, individual subjects tell a brighter story: 52% hit the higher standard in reading and 48% in maths, both strong figures. Average scaled scores sit at 108 for both reading and maths, comfortably above the national baseline of 100. The school’s Ofsted history shows real improvement—its previous graded inspection in 2013 rated it Requires Improvement, but the most recent graded inspection in 2023 awarded Good across the board, with leadership and management also rated Good. An ungraded inspection later that same year confirmed the school remains Good. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it’s hard to say how much value the school adds, but the raw attainment figures are respectable given the context.

Essendine is a three-form entry primary with nursery provision, but it is significantly oversubscribed: for 30 places in 2025/26, there were 78 applications, a ratio of 2.6 applicants per place. All 25 first-preference applicants received offers, which suggests that while competition is real, being realistic about your chances is key. The school offers a decent range of facilities including a sports hall, ICT suite, forest school and sensory room, plus clubs like gardening, drama and film club. SEND provision covers moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, and physical disabilities. For families who value a diverse, inner-London primary that performs reliably above the local average despite high deprivation, Essendine is a pragmatic choice—not flashy, but demonstrably effective. The nearest Outstanding alternative, St Peter’s CofE School, is just half a kilometre away, so it’s worth comparing both if faith-based education appeals.

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