Best Schools in London

How many schools are there in London?

London has 1861 open schools: 993 state primary, 286 state secondary or all-through, 274 independent, 145 special and 163 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in London are rated Outstanding?

444 schools in London were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Norwegian School in London, College Francais Bilingue De Londres, L'Ecole de Battersea, WENTWORTH COLLEGE, Side By Side School and 439 more. Counting Good as well, 95% of the 1499 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.

Norwegian School in LondonCollege Francais Bilingue De LondresL'Ecole de BatterseaWENTWORTH COLLEGESide By Side School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in London get the best GCSE results?

Of the 292 schools in London with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Henrietta Barnett School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 87.1 and 100% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Latymer School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 80.9 and 99% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Michaela Community School, with an Attainment 8 score of 79.6 and 99% 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.

The Henrietta Barnett SchoolThe Latymer SchoolMichaela Community School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in London have the best SATs results?

17 of the 942 primary schools in London with 2025 Key Stage 2 results had every pupil reach the expected standard in both reading and maths, among them Addison Primary School, Burdett-Coutts and Townshend Foundation CofE Primary School and Christ Church Bentinck CofE Primary School. Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Addison Primary SchoolBurdett-Coutts and Townshend Foundation CofE Primary SchoolChrist Church Bentinck CofE Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in London?

Yes. St Michael's Catholic Grammar School, The Henrietta Barnett School and The Latymer School are state grammar schools in London. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

St Michael's Catholic Grammar SchoolThe Henrietta Barnett SchoolThe Latymer School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in London?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Westminster, Ealing, Haringey, Southwark and Brent published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Christ Church Bentinck CofE Primary School, 0.529 miles for 2027 entry; Ada Lovelace Church of England High School, 0.637 miles for 2026 entry; Alexandra Park School, 0.477 miles for 2026 entry; Alfred Salter Primary School, 1277 metres for 2026 entry; Anson Primary School, 5180 metres for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 98 schools in London; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Christ Church Bentinck CofE Primary SchoolAda Lovelace Church of England High SchoolAlexandra Park SchoolAlfred Salter Primary SchoolAnson Primary School

Source: Westminster admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in London?

Apply to your council - Barnet, Southwark or Tower Hamlets, depending on your address - 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.