Duncombe Primary School, London
Duncombe Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in London. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 313th-highest of the 959 schools in London with published results, and 2,457th of 14,452 across England. It was 89% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Islington (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Duncombe Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at Duncombe Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 80% and 78% in Islington and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (87% in reading, 93% in maths).
Getting a place at Duncombe Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put Duncombe Primary School as their first choice and 84 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Duncombe Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Duncombe Primary School are St Mark's CofE Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 86% reading, 79% maths); Christ The King Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 71% reading, 47% maths); Ashmount Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 68% reading, 77% maths); and Yerbury Primary School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 86% reading, 78% maths).
Duncombe Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
St Mark's CofE Primary SchoolChrist The King Catholic Primary SchoolAshmount Primary SchoolYerbury Primary School
Who goes there
69.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 68% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (39%), Mixed (13%) and Asian (12%).
In 2026, 68 pupils (18%) received SEN support and 40 (10.6%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Upper Holloway Station, about 520 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hornsey Road / Hanley Road, 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Duncombe Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Duncombe Primary School issued 36 suspensions, 8.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Duncombe Primary School are City of London Academy, Highgate Hill (0.3 miles); Arts and Media School Islington (0.3 miles); and St Aloysius' College (0.7 miles).
City of London Academy, Highgate HillArts and Media School IslingtonSt Aloysius' College
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
69.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 93% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 89% to 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.0
Avg class size
19.2
Infant (KS1)
24.0
KS2
17
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Duncombe Primary School
Before and after school care
Duncombe Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Islington
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Duncombe Primary School.
- FAIR PLAY NEW ORLEANS690m away · Not yet graded
- Yerbury Extended School Services940m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Duncombe Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Islington. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Duncombe Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Duncombe Primary School is in Islington; for families living there:
Apply to Islington for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 101
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 20
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 101 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 20 serious and 81 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
18 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Islington is 143 (the median across 70 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Duncombe Primary School
Will you get a place at Duncombe Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Duncombe Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Duncombe Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Duncombe Primary School.
- Islington publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Duncombe Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Duncombe Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Islington got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
89%
Available places
374 pupils
420 places
46 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Islington council
Places available
1,760
Applications
1,683
Got 1st preference
79.4%
Got preferred school
95.8%
All primary applications across Islington council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
68
SEN Support
40
EHC Plans
28.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
378
Total Pupils
182
Boys
196
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
17.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,697
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,229
Per pupil
£3781k
Total funding
£395k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.1%
Overall absence
22.3%
Persistent absence
385
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Duncombe Primary School
Questions parents ask about Duncombe Primary School
What are SATs results like at Duncombe Primary School?
Of the pupils at Duncombe Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Duncombe Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Duncombe Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023.
What is the catchment area for Duncombe Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Duncombe Primary School is oversubscribed, Islington allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Duncombe Primary School?
Duncombe Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 89% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Duncombe Primary School?
Classes at Duncombe Primary School average 21 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Duncombe Primary School?
Duncombe Primary School has around 378 pupils on roll. 70% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Duncombe Primary School?
7.1% of sessions were missed at Duncombe Primary School in 2024/25. 22.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Duncombe Primary School?
Apply through Islington's coordinated admissions process, naming Duncombe Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Duncombe Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Duncombe Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Duncombe Primary School: FAIR PLAY NEW ORLEANS (690m away, registered, not yet graded) and Yerbury Extended School Services (940m away, registered, not yet graded).
What are Duncombe Primary School's term dates?
Duncombe Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Islington. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Duncombe Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 101 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 20 serious and 81 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 18 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Islington is 143 (the median across 70 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Duncombe Primary School?
Duncombe Primary School is at Sussex Way, Islington, London, N19 4JA.
Sources: Islington term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)