Old Palace Primary School, London

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~334m)Possible (~477m)Unlikely (~620m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Gary Palmer
Pupils:386 / 420 capacity
LA:Tower Hamlets
Phone:02089803020
Address:St Leonard's Street, Bow, London, E3 3BT
Federation:Old Palace Primary School and Children's House Nursery School Federation
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:100892
UKPRN:10079723
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Stratford and Bow
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Old Palace Primary School creates an inclusive, calm learning environment where pupils are eager to learn and demonstrate exceptional behaviour and respect for one another. The school provides a wealth of enrichment opportunities including visits to museums, galleries, theatres and the Essex countryside that bring learning to life. The early years provision is outstanding, giving children a strong foundation for their future education.

Key Strengths

  • Exemplary behaviour throughout the school with consistent application of behaviour policy
  • Ambitious, well-organised curriculum from Reception to Year 6 with regular checks on pupil progress
  • Outstanding early years provision that prepares children effectively for future learning
  • High-quality enrichment opportunities including museum visits, theatre trips, and residential visits
  • Strong focus on reading with high-quality books and effective phonics teaching for most pupils

Areas for Improvement

  • Some staff lack sufficient subject knowledge in the new phonics programme, particularly in Key Stage 1 and Year 3
  • Reading books are not always well-matched to individual pupils' phonics levels in a few cases
  • Some pupils progress to new books before they are ready, affecting reading fluency and confidence
  • Parent communication could be improved according to feedback from a few families

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective with well-trained staff who recognise signs of abuse, take prompt action on concerns, and work in close partnership with external agencies.

Extracurricular Activities

Museum visits, gallery visits, place of worship visits, West End theatre trips, residential visits to Essex countryside (Years 3-5), school council, sports ambassador roles

Old Palace Primary School is a Good rated school that celebrates diversity and promotes an inclusive learning environment. The school has Outstanding behaviour and attitudes, and an exceptionally well-planned early years provision.

At a Glance

30.1%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+10ppMaths-6ppWriting

Reading has improved from 83% to 93%. Maths has declined from 88% to 82%. Writing has remained stable at around 86%.

Class Sizes

28.6

Avg class size

28.5

Infant (KS1)

28.6

KS2

9

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Tube / Metro / Tram

Bromley-by-Bow Underground Station
360m · 6 min walk
Bromley-By-Bow
374m · 6 min walk
Bow Church DLR Station
461m · 7 min walk

Bus Stops

St Leonards Street (Stop R)
73m · 1 min walk
Bow Interchange (Stop T)
142m · 2 min walk
Grace Street (Stop U)
152m · 2 min walk
Hancock Road (Stop X)
187m · 3 min walk
Bow Church (Stop L)
205m · 3 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

92%

Near capacity

386 pupils

420 capacity

34 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - London

Low pressure
New homes approved:104,823
Projected new pupils:26,206

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for London

Admissions Demand - Tower Hamlets

Low demand0.84x oversubscription

Places available

3,480

Applications

2,918

Got 1st preference

92.3%

Got preferred school

97.9%

Primary admissions across Tower Hamlets (2025/26)

Inspection History(105)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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SEN Provision

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.27829%

Overall absence

12.68012%

Persistent absence

347

Enrolments

Authorised4.17079%
Unauthorised1.1075%
Persistent (10%+)12.68012%
Severe (50%+)0.57637%

Absence trend

4.06256%
18/19
4.02019%
20/21
5.74498%
21/22
6.21396%
22/23
6.1191%
23/24
5.27829%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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