Robert Blair School and Children's Centre, London

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 011

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~328m)Possible (~469m)Unlikely (~610m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Ms Sara Liney
Pupils:214 / 251 capacity
LA:Islington
Phone:02076074115
Address:Brewery Road, Islington, London, N7 9QJ
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 2 years ago
-

Overall

Inspected 5 November 2024View full report
URN:100422
UKPRN:10069170
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Islington South and Finsbury
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Robert Blair is making strong improvements in teaching and pupil progress, with most children now making good gains in lessons. The school excels at supporting children with speech, language and communication needs through its specialist resource base. The Early Years Foundation Stage provides a particularly strong start for young children, enabling them to develop their skills effectively.

Key Strengths

  • Much of the teaching is now good, with most pupils making good progress in lessons
  • Children make a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage with consistently well-planned teaching
  • Pupils in the language and communication resource base receive very effective teaching and support
  • Leaders and managers have introduced rigorous tracking of pupils' progress and deployed staff effectively to improve achievement
  • Governors have increased their effectiveness and are well organised and well informed

Areas for Improvement

  • Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has been low and remains below national levels, though the gap is closing
  • Behaviour is not managed consistently well, particularly outside classrooms, and pupils do not always feel safe
  • Attendance is lower than it should be
  • Work is not always challenging enough for more able pupils, causing some to lose interest
  • Teaching quality, while much improved, is not yet consistently good across all lessons

Safeguarding

Behaviour and safety requires improvement - pupils do not consistently feel safe, particularly outside the classrooms and in the playground.

Robert Blair Primary School is an above-average-sized primary school in Islington that requires improvement after previously being rated good. The school serves a diverse population with high levels of pupil premium eligibility and includes a language and communication resource base.

At a Glance

44.4%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

40 responses
Would recommend53%
Child is happy83%
Well taught88%
Good progress73%
Feels safe73%
Well behaved68%
Bullying dealt with18%
Kept informed78%
Handles concerns48%
Wider development65%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-24ppMaths-4ppWriting-4pp

Reading has declined from 72% to 48%. Maths has declined from 68% to 64%. Writing has declined from 68% to 64%.

Class Sizes

21.8

Avg class size

24.0

Infant (KS1)

25.0

KS2

9

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Caledonian Road & Barnsbury Rail Station
396m · 6 min walk
Caledonian Road & Barnsbury Station (Entrance)
458m · 7 min walk

Tube / Metro / Tram

Caledonian Road Underground Station
476m · 8 min walk
Caledonian Road Station
494m · 8 min walk

Bus Stops

York Way Estate (Stop ZD)
264m · 4 min walk
Market Road Gardens (Stop F)
270m · 4 min walk
H M Prison Pentonville (Stop H)
280m · 5 min walk
Caledonian Rd / Market Rd Gardens (Stop E)
288m · 5 min walk
Brewery Road (N7) (Stop N)
305m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

85%

Available places

214 pupils

251 capacity

37 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 - Islington

Low demand0.85x oversubscription

Places available

1,905

Applications

1,626

Got 1st preference

80.9%

Got preferred school

96.5%

Primary admissions across Islington (2025/26)

Inspection History(9)

5 November 2024
9 May 2019
Leadership & ManagementGood
9 May 2019
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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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

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.79454%

Overall absence

23.17073%

Persistent absence

164

Enrolments

Authorised4.55446%
Unauthorised2.24007%
Persistent (10%+)23.17073%
Severe (50%+)0.60976%

Absence trend

4.99347%
18/19
5.05142%
20/21
6.22729%
21/22
6.47335%
22/23
6.54789%
23/24
6.79454%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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