Five Elms Primary School

About Five Elms Primary School

Five Elms Primary School is a state-funded, mixed primary school in Barking and Dagenham that currently educates 459 pupils against a capacity of 496, meaning it is running close to full but with a small number of spare places. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: 32.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with the national primary average of around 24%. Demand for places is exceptionally high — for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 204 applications for just 49 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.16. All 49 first-preference applicants were offered a place, but the sheer volume of total applications suggests that families outside the immediate catchment area face stiff competition. The school has a nursery provision for children aged three and up, which may help local families secure a foothold before the main reception intake.

Academically, Five Elms performs solidly above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 70% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Barking and Dagenham average of 65%. This places the school 13th out of 39 primaries in the borough, putting it in the top third locally. At the higher standard, 13% of pupils achieved the top marks across all three subjects. Individual subject scores are strong: average scaled scores of 105 in both reading and maths are above the national benchmark of 100, and 37% of pupils achieved the higher standard in maths. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in October 2022, confirmed that it remains Good overall, a rating it has held consistently since its last graded inspection in March 2017. Leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness were all rated Good.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, dining hall, playing fields, art studios and a chapel, alongside sports such as football, swimming, gymnastics and athletics. Clubs include drama, coding, art and eco club. For families with children who have additional needs, Five Elms is well equipped: it has a dedicated SEN unit and provisions for moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and social, emotional and mental health support. The school is non-religious and co-educational, with no sixth form. Given its strong local reputation, high oversubscription and above-average outcomes, Five Elms is a realistic target for families living close by who can secure a place at reception, but it may be a stretch for those further afield unless they have a strong connection to the school.

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