Highlands Primary School

About Highlands Primary School

Highlands Primary School in Redbridge is a state primary for mixed pupils aged 3 to 11, and it is noticeably popular. The school currently has 665 pupils on roll against a capacity of 630, meaning it is running over its official number. Demand is high: for the 2025/26 academic year, there were 213 applications for 90 places, with 94 of those applications listing Highlands as a first preference. Only 86 first-preference offers were made, so oversubscription is a real factor for families considering it. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 14.7%, which is below the national average for primary schools and suggests a relatively affluent intake compared with the wider population. The school is non-religious and is led by headteacher Kulvarn Atwal. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in November 2024, confirmed that standards are maintained, and the school retains its Outstanding rating from the previous graded inspection in March 2019.

Academically, Highlands performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 83% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Redbridge local authority average of 74%. The school ranks 11th out of 50 primary schools in the borough, placing it in the top 22% locally, and nationally it sits in the top 8% of all primary schools. A notable 14% of pupils achieved the higher standard in all three subjects. In individual subjects, maths scores were particularly strong: 92% reached the expected standard and 34% hit the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 108. Reading and writing also performed well, with 89% and 94% reaching the expected standard respectively. The Ofsted inspection from March 2019 rated the school Outstanding overall, with Outstanding marks for early years provision, leadership and management, and quality of education. The previous inspection in 2014 had rated it Good, so the school has clearly improved since then.

Highlands offers a wide range of facilities including a sensory room, library, forest school, ICT suite, gymnasium, art studios, playing fields and even a chapel. Sports provision includes swimming, tennis, rounders, cricket and football, while clubs range from choir and book club to coding, film club, science club and art club. The school has a nursery provision for younger children. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent views are overwhelmingly positive: 99% of respondents would recommend the school, and 99% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there. Given the oversubscription, families should be prepared to apply early and consider their catchment area carefully. This is a strong, well-regarded school that suits families who value high academic standards and a broad range of enrichment activities.

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