Old Bexley Church of England School

About Old Bexley Church of England School

Old Bexley Church of England School is a large state primary that currently educates 663 pupils against a capacity of 840, so there is still some room to grow. Its intake is notably less disadvantaged than the local average: just 4.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with a national primary average of around 23%. The school is a Church of England foundation, which shapes its admissions criteria, and demand is high. For the 2025/26 reception intake, the school received 158 applications for 63 places, making it oversubscribed by a factor of 2.51. Of those applicants, 57 put it as their first preference, and all 57 were offered a place. That means the school is popular but not impossibly selective — families who prioritise it stand a decent chance, especially if they align with the faith-based admissions criteria.

Academically, the school holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections. In the 2023 inspection, every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — was rated Good. At Key Stage 2, 61% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is slightly below the Bexley local authority average of 67%. However, the school performs well on higher scores: 13% of pupils achieved the higher standard in all three subjects, and individual subject scores are solid, with average scaled scores of 107 in reading and 106 in maths. In the Bexley rankings, the school sits 34th out of 55 primaries, placing it in the bottom half of the local authority. Nationally, it ranks in the 54th percentile.

The school offers a strong set of facilities for a state primary, including a sports hall, playing fields, a forest school, a sensory room, art studios and even a chapel. Sports on offer include netball, football, cricket, swimming and tennis, and there are clubs such as film, eco, chess and choir. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, and autistic spectrum disorder, with a resourced provision on site. There is also nursery provision for children from age three. For families seeking a Church of England primary in Bexley with a relatively less disadvantaged intake and a wide range of facilities, Old Bexley is a solid choice — though those prioritising top academic outcomes may want to look at higher-ranked local options like St Thomas More Catholic Primary School.

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