Kensington Primary School

About Kensington Primary School

Kensington Primary School’s headline metrics present a mixed picture when compared with the Newham local authority average for primary schools. While the school’s proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (65%) falls short of the LA average of 74%, its performance in individual subjects tells a more nuanced story. In reading, 87% of pupils met the expected standard, comfortably above the LA benchmark, and in writing the figure was 81%. Maths, however, lags behind at 79% expected. The school’s average scaled scores — 108 in maths and 107 in reading — are solid, but the proportion achieving the higher standard in reading (29%) and writing (24%) is modest. This suggests a school that secures solid foundations for most children but may not push as many into the top tier of attainment as some local peers.

Academically, Kensington Primary’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2021 rated it Outstanding overall, a remarkable turnaround from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2014. The inspection gave top marks for early years provision, leadership and management, and overall effectiveness. In the 2023/24 KS2 results, 14% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, and 46% reached the higher standard in maths alone. The school ranks 45th out of 61 primary schools in Newham on the key metric of expected standards in reading, writing and maths, placing it in the bottom quarter of the borough. Nationally, it sits around the 43rd percentile. For parents focused on raw attainment, the school is decent but not a standout in a competitive London borough.

Kensington Primary is a large, oversubscribed state school with 636 pupils against a capacity of 630, and for 2025/26 it received 199 applications for 90 places, with 81 first-preference offers made. The school has a nursery provision and offers a broad range of sports including swimming, football and athletics, plus clubs like gardening, drama and choir. Facilities include a sensory room, ICT suite, sports hall and a chapel. SEND support covers dyslexia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health. With 28.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse community. It suits families who value a strong early years foundation and a supportive, inclusive environment, but who may want to supplement learning at home if aiming for top-tier secondary school entry.

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