The Olive School, Hackney, London

Outstanding
Primary
Free schools
Mixed
Muslim
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~672m)Possible (~960m)Unlikely (~1.2km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Babar Mirza
Pupils:629 / 630 capacity
LA:Hackney
Phone:02076837436
Address:32 St Johns Church Road, Hackney, London, E9 6EJ
Trust:STAR ACADEMIES
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:3 September 2013

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Outstanding

Quality of Education

Outstanding

Behaviour & Attitudes

Outstanding

Personal Development

Outstanding

Leadership & Management

Outstanding

Early Years

Inspected 7 May 2025View full report
URN:139814
UKPRN:10042317
Constituency:Hackney South and Shoreditch
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This school stands out for its ambitious approach to all subjects, ensuring children build deep knowledge and understanding over time. Staff are exceptionally well-trained experts who teach clearly and quickly address any misconceptions. The school creates a caring community where pupils show genuine respect for each other and have wonderful opportunities to broaden their horizons through visits, clubs, and enrichment activities.

Key Strengths

  • Highly ambitious curriculum that exceeds national expectations, with precise sequencing to build deep knowledge over time
  • Exceptional focus on reading with expertly trained staff delivering phonics consistently, resulting in pupils reading with accuracy and fluency
  • Outstanding behaviour and attendance with clear expectations understood and applied by all pupils from Reception onwards
  • Highly responsive support for pupils with SEND, ensuring they are included in all aspects of school life
  • Extensive enrichment opportunities including university visits, debating, poetry competitions, choir, and well-planned educational trips

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear procedures in place and a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.

Extracurricular Activities

Debating, poetry competitions, choir, ballet (early years), reading ambassadors programme, playground buddies, university visits, enrichment talks from professionals in medicine and robotics, Kew Gardens visits, breakfast club, after-school club

The Olive School, Hackney is an outstanding primary academy where pupils are exceptionally proud members of the community, behave impeccably, and achieve highly across all areas of their education.

At a Glance

54.1%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

109 responses
Would recommend94%
Child is happy95%
Well taught95%
Good progress88%
Feels safe95%
Well behaved91%
Bullying dealt with19%
Kept informed92%
Handles concerns65%
Wider development87%

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

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+2ppMaths-1ppWriting-1pp

Reading has remained stable at around 92%. Maths has remained stable at around 94%. Writing has remained stable at around 92%.

Class Sizes

29.7

Avg class size

29.8

Infant (KS1)

29.7

KS2

21

Total classes

2 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Hackney Central Station (Entrance)
348m · 6 min walk
Hackney Central Rail Station
390m · 6 min walk
Hackney Downs Station (Entrance)
568m · 9 min walk

Bus Stops

Hackney Baths (Stop V)
75m · 1 min walk
Clapton Square (Stop S)
98m · 2 min walk
Jack Dunning Estate (Stop W)
103m · 2 min walk
The City Academy (Stop P)
156m · 3 min walk
Mare Street / Narrow Way (Stop R)
198m · 3 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

100%

Over capacity

629 pupils

630 capacity

1 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 - Hackney

Low demand0.73x oversubscription

Places available

2,495

Applications

1,817

Got 1st preference

85.0%

Got preferred school

98.1%

Primary admissions across Hackney (2025/26)

Inspection History(3)

7 May 2025
Quality of EducationOutstanding
Behaviour & AttitudesOutstanding
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding
Early YearsOutstanding
12 May 2015
OutstandingReport
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding
8 July 2014

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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

4.34947%

Overall absence

8.79121%

Persistent absence

546

Enrolments

Authorised3.56512%
Unauthorised0.78435%
Persistent (10%+)8.79121%
Severe (50%+)0.3663%

Absence trend

3.15957%
18/19
2.99682%
20/21
5.12149%
21/22
5.46336%
22/23
4.32887%
23/24
4.34947%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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