Best Schools in Ilford

How many schools are there in Ilford?

Ilford has 57 open schools: 31 state primary, 13 state secondary or all-through, 6 independent, 5 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Ilford are rated Outstanding?

9 schools in Ilford were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Fullwood Primary School, Loxford School, Valentines High School, Highlands Primary School, Ark Isaac Newton Academy and 4 more. Counting Good as well, 94% of the 51 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Fullwood Primary SchoolLoxford SchoolValentines High SchoolHighlands Primary SchoolArk Isaac Newton Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Ilford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 13 schools in Ilford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Ilford County High School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 77 and 99% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Seven Kings School, with an Attainment 8 score of 62 and 81% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Ark Isaac Newton Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 60.7 and 72% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Ilford County High SchoolSeven Kings SchoolArk Isaac Newton Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Ilford have the best SATs results?

Of the 33 primary schools in Ilford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Gordon Primary School (97% in reading, 97% in maths); Ark Isaac Newton Academy (94% in reading, 96% in maths); and Aldborough Primary School (92% in reading, 94% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Gordon Primary SchoolArk Isaac Newton AcademyAldborough Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Ilford?

Yes. Ilford County High School is a state grammar school in Ilford. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Ilford County High School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Ilford have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Ilford have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Redbridge allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Ilford?

Apply to Redbridge through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.