Marlborough Primary School

About Marlborough Primary School

Marlborough Primary School in Kensington and Chelsea is a state primary for children aged 0 to 11, and it is clearly a popular choice among local families. The school has capacity for 507 pupils but currently enrols 444, leaving some room, yet the demand tells a different story. For the 2025/26 reception intake, the school received 150 applications for just 60 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.5 to one. Of those 150 applications, only 44 were first-preference choices, and 43 of those families were offered a place. This suggests that while the school is heavily oversubscribed overall, families who put it as their top choice stand a very good chance. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 24.4%, which is higher than the national average for primary schools and gives the school a genuinely mixed intake. The headteacher is Jagdeep Birdi, and the school has no religious character.

Academically, Marlborough Primary is performing at an exceptionally high level. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 91% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the local authority average of 72%. The school ranks 5th out of 25 primary schools in Kensington and Chelsea, placing it in the top 20% of the borough, and 255th nationally out of 13,686 schools. At the higher standard, 12% of pupils achieved the top marks across all three subjects, with 42% reaching that level in reading and 36% in maths. Average scaled scores were 109 in reading and 108 in maths, both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2024, the school was judged Outstanding across every category inspected, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. This is a clear upgrade from its previous Good rating in 2014.

The school offers a strong range of facilities including a library, playing fields, art studios, a gymnasium and a sports hall, plus a chapel on site. Clubs include drama, gardening and choir, and sports on offer are cricket, rounders, dance and athletics. For families with children who have special educational needs, Marlborough has a wide range of provisions covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, visual impairment, autism, and social and emotional mental health needs, and it also has a resourced provision. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 95% of the 156 respondents would recommend the school, and 97% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there. The school has a nursery provision, so it can take children from age 0, which is a practical bonus for working parents. This is a school that suits families who want strong academic outcomes in a diverse, well-resourced setting, and who are prepared to compete for a place.

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