Best Schools in Kensington and Chelsea

How many schools are there in Kensington and Chelsea?

Kensington and Chelsea has 74 open schools: 26 state primary, 7 state secondary or all-through, 29 independent, 4 special and 8 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Kensington and Chelsea are rated Outstanding?

18 schools in Kensington and Chelsea were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Hill House School, Ashbourne College, Christ Church CofE Primary School, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Thomas Jones Primary School and 13 more. Counting Good as well, 98% of the 43 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.

Hill House SchoolAshbourne CollegeChrist Church CofE Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolThomas Jones Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Kensington and Chelsea get the best GCSE results?

Of the 6 schools in Kensington and Chelsea with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial RC School, with an Attainment 8 score of 61.5 and 74% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Holland Park School, with an Attainment 8 score of 58.2 and 68% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Chelsea Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 53.3 and 58% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial RC SchoolHolland Park SchoolChelsea Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Kensington and Chelsea have the best SATs results?

Of the 25 primary schools in Kensington and Chelsea with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (100% in reading, 93% in maths); and St Barnabas and St Philip's CofE Primary School (96% in reading, 96% 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.

Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolSt Barnabas and St Philip's CofE Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Kensington and Chelsea?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Kensington and Chelsea selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Kensington and Chelsea have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Kensington and Chelsea have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Kensington and Chelsea 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 Kensington and Chelsea?

Apply to Kensington and Chelsea 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.