Pakeman Primary School

About Pakeman Primary School

Pakeman Primary School in Islington is a mixed state primary for ages 2 to 11, currently home to 327 pupils against a capacity of 349 — so it’s running close to full but not quite at the limit. The school serves a notably diverse intake: 57.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is well above the national average and reflects the local community it draws from. Demand is strong — for the 2025/26 reception intake, the school received 84 applications for 45 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.87. Of those, 30 were first-preference offers, meaning exactly two-thirds of applicants who put Pakeman first got a place. That level of competition suggests the school is a popular choice among local families, even though it isn’t the highest-ranked primary in the borough. Headteacher Emma Bonnin leads a school that clearly has a waiting list, so parents should be prepared to apply early.

Academically, Pakeman performs around the middle of the pack in Islington. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — just one point below the local authority average of 68%. The school’s ranking within Islington places it 25th out of 39 primaries, putting it in the 64th percentile locally, and nationally it sits in the 40th percentile. Individual subject scores are solid: maths averaged 105, reading 104, with 77% reaching the expected level in maths and 73% in reading. Writing was slightly lower at 70% expected. Higher-attaining pupils are less common here — only 3% achieved higher standard in writing, compared with 30% in maths and 33% in reading. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2022 confirmed it remains Good, with leadership, early years provision and behaviour all rated Good as well.

Pakeman offers a broad set of facilities including music rooms, a forest school, ICT suite, art studios, sports hall, sensory room, playing fields and even a chapel. Sports provision covers cricket, gymnastics, dance, swimming and tennis, while clubs include film, coding, drama and eco club. The school has a nursery provision for younger children and publishes a range of SEND support, covering moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional needs, speech and language, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. For families weighing up options, Pakeman is a solid, well-subscribed local primary with good but not outstanding Ofsted grades — the nearest Outstanding school is Ambler Primary School and Children’s Centre, 0.9 km away. It suits families who value a diverse, inclusive intake and a full range of enrichment activities, but who are comfortable with results that sit around the local average rather than at the top of the borough.

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