Gillespie Primary School

About Gillespie Primary School

Gillespie Primary School is a state-funded, mixed primary school in the London borough of Islington, catering for children aged 3 to 11. It sits in a competitive local landscape, ranking 2nd out of 39 primary schools in the local authority, placing it firmly in the top 5% of schools in Islington. Its closest academic peers, according to local rankings, are Drayton Park Primary School, which holds the top spot, followed by Winton Primary School and Hugh Myddelton Primary School. The school is led by headteacher Mark Owen and has a capacity of 236 pupils, with a current roll of 208. It is also one of only eight primary schools in Islington to hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted, a notable distinction in a borough with 41 primary schools overall. Just 0.3 km away sits Ambler Primary School and Children's Centre, another Outstanding-rated option for local families.

Academically, Gillespie Primary School performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 89% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared to the Islington average of 68%. The school also excels at the higher standard, with 18% of pupils achieving this across all three subjects. In reading, 93% reached the expected level and 50% achieved the higher standard, while in maths, 93% met expectations and 57% reached the higher tier. The average scaled scores for both reading and maths sit at 110. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023, the school received Outstanding grades across every category, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This marks a consistent improvement from its previous inspection in 2011, where early years provision was rated as Requires Improvement.

The school offers a range of facilities including music rooms, art studios, a sports hall, a gymnasium, and a chapel. Sports provision covers tennis, athletics, swimming, rounders, cricket, and football, while extracurricular clubs include chess, choir, book club, and coding. Gillespie also provides nursery provision for younger children. For families with children who have additional needs, the school supports a range of SEND categories, including moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Admissions for the 2025/26 year show the school is heavily oversubscribed: it received 226 total applications for just 28 places, with 52 first-preference applications and an oversubscription ratio of 8.07. This level of demand suggests it is a popular choice for families who prioritise strong academic outcomes and a well-regarded Ofsted rating within the Islington area.

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