How to interpret 2023 Sunday Times school league tables

The following top primary school league tables for 2022/23 entry provide a good indication of which UK primary schools are performing.

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Top primary school league tables 2023

Looking for the best primary schools for your child? Wondering whether any top primary schools are nearby?

First thing you need to know is your local catchment area? And then establish which schools are within that catchment area.

Which are the UK’s top primary schools?

The Guardian, The Times and The Telegraph websites allow you to add filters to their published league tables. You can pull out those schools for which you are in the catchment area. Then compare your chosen school group on those criteria which are most important to you.

How do I interpret 2022 primary school league tables?

The London independent school league table rankings are based on the latest exam results.

Check Ofsted Reports for top primary schools 2022

What are Ofsted reports?

• Well firstly these are something that you must check for each indepdnet school of interest.
• Each Ofsted report is an analysis of that school’s teachers’ professional competence
• Plus, how well performance standards have been met across the independent school. There are three possible outcomes: under-achieving; achieving; or outstanding.

What do primary school league tables mean?

The primary school league table rankings are based on national key standards, called the SATs. Non-exam based criteria are also used to determine the rankings.

Primary School League Tables 2022

1 St Antony’s RC Primary School, Forest Gate, London
2 St Stephen’s School, East Ham, London
3 Mayflower Primary School, London
4 St Anne’s RC Primary School, Streetly, Sutton Coldfield
5= Courtland School, London
5= Fox Primary School, London
7 Lowbrook Academy, Maidenhead
8 Bevington Primary School, London
9 Hampden Gurney C of E Primary School, London
10 Thomas Jones Primary School, London
11 South Farnham School, Farnham
12 Colville Primary School, London
13= Oratory RC Primary School, London
13= St Barnabas and St Paul’s C of E VA Primary School, Blackburn
15= Nicol Mere School, Wigan
15= St John Fisher School, Thamesmead, Erith
17= Evelyn Street Community Primary School, Warrington
17= St Joseph’s RC Primary School, Willesden, London
19= Portswood Primary School, Southampton
19= Scotts Primary School, Hornchurch

Primary school league tables – Best primary schools in UK – top primary schools in uk

Top state primary school league tables

1	1	Mayflower Primary School	London
2	2	St Antony’s RC Primary School, Forest Gate	London	114	117	114	345	62
3	262=	The Russell School	Rickmansworth	115		115	345	30
4	24	Hampden Gurney C of E Primary School	London	114	114	115	343	27
5	4	St Stephen’s School, East Ham	London	112	117	113	342	59
6	49	Bevington Primary School	London	113	117	112	342	44
7	–	St Thomas A Becket RC Primary School, London	London	114	116	112	342	29
8	15	Fox Primary School	London	114	115	112	341	42
9=	12	Courtland School	London	112	116	113	341	30
9=	8	St Anne’s RC Primary School, Streetly	Sutton Coldfield	113	116	112	341	30
11	9	South Farnham School	Farnham	111	116	113	340	136
12=	110=	Holy Trinity C of E Primary School, Cookham	Maidenhead	113	115	112	340	30
12=	40	Lowbrook Academy	Maidenhead	111	115	114	340	30
14	–	St Joseph’s RC Primary School, Rotherhithe	London	111	116	113	340	25
15	–	Nascot Wood Junior School	Watford	112	114	113	339	60
16	146	Newcomen Primary School	Redcar	112	116	111	339	46
17=	–	Redhill Primary School	Derby	114	113	112	339	32
17=	38=	Yarlside Academy	Barrow-in-Furness	111	116	112	339	32
19=	54=	St John Fisher School, Thamesmead	Erith	112	116	111	339	30
19=	312=	St Thomas More’s RC Primary School, Colchester	Colchester	114	114	111	339	30
21	37	St Anselm’s RC Primary School, London	London	111	115	113	339	29
22	93	Christchurch Primary School	Ilford	111	114	113	338	146
23	257	The Raleigh School	Leatherhead	111	115	112	338	64
24	292=	Benedict Biscop C of E Academy	Sunderland	112	116	110	338	31
25=	104	Dundonald Primary School	London	111	114	113	338	28
25=	126	Staindrop C of E Primary School	Darlington	113	113	112	338	28
27	23	Portswood Primary School	Southampton	112	114	111	337	60
28	67	Brunswick Park Primary and Nursery School	London	111	115	111	337	57
29	105	William Tyndale Primary School	London	111	114	112	337	54
30	11	Colville Primary School	London	111	115	111	337	45
31=	–	Queensgate Primary School	Stockport	110	116	111	337	31
31=	74	St Joseph’s RC Primary School, Christchurch	Christchurch	110	116	111	337	31
31=	–	St Mary Abbots C of E Primary School	London	111	115	111	337	31
34=	–	Hinguar Community Primary School	Southend-on-Sea	110	114	113	337	30
34=	–	Our Lady Star of the Sea RC Primary School	Lytham St Annes	113	113	111	337	30
36=	110=	Krishna Avanti Primary School	Edgware	111	113	113	337	29
36=	42=	Thomas Jones Primary School	London	111	115	111	337	29
38	173	St Cuthbert’s RC Primary and Nursery School, Liverpool	Liverpool	112	113	112	337	28
39	–	St Clement Danes C of E Primary School	London	110	116	111	337	26
40	–	The Orchard School	London	112	113	112	337	25
41	–	St Faith’s C of E Primary School, Winchester	Winchester	111	115	111	337	23
42	61	New City Primary School	London	112	113	111	336	88
43=	489=	Eaton Park Academy	Stoke-on-Trent	110	115	111	336	60
43=	262=	Griffe Field Primary School	Derby	110	115	111	336	60
43=	–	St Mary’s RC Primary School, Eltham	London	110	114	112	336	60
46=	98=	Bowdon Church School	Altrincham	110	114	112	336	59
46=	63=	St Michael and St Martin RC Primary School, Hounslow	Hounslow	110	115	111	336	59
48	–	Addison Primary School	London	112	114	110	336	53
49	150=	Park Road Sale Primary School	Sale	109	116	111	336	34
50	–	Sandiway Primary School

Primary school league tables – Best primary schools in UK – top primary schools in uk

How are primary school league tables compiled?

It’s not so easy choosing the right primary school for your child, whether state or private. Although not the only way to judge a school, primary school league tables can give you a good indication of a school’s performance.

There are a few primary school league tables that might provide insight into this. Not to mention our own blog (Private School League Tables).

As mentioned in our Private School League Tables article, parents have been brooding over these league tables for almost 30 years. First introduced by Prime Minister John Major in 1991 as part of the Citizen’s Charter.

Primary school league tables – Best primary schools in UK – top primary schools in uk

Telegraph state primary schools league table

A good place to start looking for a good primary school is the Telegraph’s Primary School League. Not only do they provide an interactive tool where you can search for the nearest outstanding schools. They also list the top 100 schools based on the percentage of learners that achieved the expected standards in reading, writing and maths. Then by the percentage of learners achieving a high score in reading and maths while working at greater depth in writing. They also include the Ofsted ratings.

According to the Telegraph’s Primary School League table, these are the top 5 state primary schools in the UK.

1. Boltons CofE School, Wigton, Cumbria – Good Ofsted
2. Wincle CofE Primary School, Macclesfield – Good Ofsted
3. St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Stafford – Good Ofsted
4. Lanercost CofE Primary School, Brampton – Outstanding Ofsted
5. The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overy, London – Outstanding Ofsted

Primary school league tables – Best primary schools in UK – top primary schools in uk

Prep Schools – Independent Primary Schools

However, if you are looking at Prep schools, the Best Schools league tables and the Tatlers School Guide might also be something that would interest you.

Firstly we look at the Best Schools league tables. They provide 3 different league tables for prep schools. The schools included in these tables are only the ones that share their leaver information.

• Top Boarding Preps
• The top London Preps
• Top All-Through Schools

Top Boarding Preps 2019

This table is based on how many leavers move onto top UK Secondary Schools. All of these boarding preps have more than 50 boarders.

1. Ashdown House Preparatory School in Forest Row, East Sussex (co-ed)
2. Caldicott School, Slough, Buckinghamshire (boys)
3. Cothill House School, Cohthill, Oxfordshire (boys)
4. Cottesmore School, West Sussex  (co-ed) TES Boarding School of the Year 2019
5. Eagle House School, Sandhurst, Berkshire (co-ed)
6. Edge Grove School, Aldenham, Watford, Berkshire (co-ed)
7. Elstree, Hertsmere, Hertfordshire  (boys)
8. Godstowe Prep School, High Wycombe  (girls)
9. Ludgrove School, Wokingham, Berkshire  (boys)
10. Papplewick School, Ascot (boys)
11. Summer Fields School, Summertown, Oxford (boys)

Primary school league tables – Best primary schools in UK – top primary schools in uk

The top London Preps 2019

This table is based on how many leavers go to top Secondary Schools. Only schools that share specific information on their leavers’ destinations are included in this list.

1. Sussex House – Boys to 13
2. Falkner House – Girls to 11
3. Bute House – Girls to 11
4. Arnold House – Boys to 13
5. Kensington Girls – Girls to 11
6. Garden House – Co-ed to 11
7. Hall School – Boys to 13
8. Broomfield House – Co-ed to 11
9. Glendower – Girls to 11
10. St Martin’s – Boys to 13

Top All-through Schools 2019

This show the top all-through schools. These are therefore all prep schools attached to top senior schools. The rankings below are based on the GCSE results of the attached secondary school from 2017.

1. Westminster Under School – Boys (7 – 13 year-olds)
2. North London Collegiate School – Girls (4-18 year-olds)
3. King’s College School – Boys (7 -16) – Co-ed (16-18 year-olds)
4. City of London School for Girls – Girls (7 – 18 year-olds)
5. St Paul’s Juniors (St Paul’s School) – Boys (7 – 13 year-olds)
6. Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls – Girls (4 – 18-year-olds)
7. South Hampstead High School – Girls – (4 – 18 year-olds)
8. Alleyn’s Junior School – Co-ed (4 – 18 year-olds)
9. Wimbledon High School – Girls (4 – 18 year-olds)
10. The Lady Eleanor Holles School – Girls (7-18 year-olds)

Tatlers London School Guide 2019

Secondly, we have a look at the Tatlers Top Prep School in London 2019. This is a very handy guide as they have a short description of each school. In this 15th edition of this popular guide, the following prep schools were at the top of the list.

1. Bassett House, Notting Hill
2. Broomwood Hall
3. Bute House
4. Dulwich Prep London
5. Eaton House the Manor Schools
6. Eaton Square School
7. L’Ecole de Battersea
8. Falkner House
9. Fulham Prep School
10. Garden House School
11. Glendower Prep School
12. The Hall School
13. Hornsby House
14. Kensington Prep School
15. Knightsbridge School
16. Newton Prep School
17. Norland Place School
18. Northcote Lodge
19. Notting Hill Prep School
20. Orchard House School

Primary school league tables – Best primary schools in UK – top primary schools in uk

Where can I find primary school league tables?

The Guardian, The Times and The Telegraph websites allow you to add filters to their published league tables. You can pull out those schools for which you are in the catchment area. Then compare your chosen school group on those criteria which are most important to you.

You need to conduct your own analysis to determine which school best suits your child’s specific needs.

Ofsted Reports

Check the latest Ofsted report too. Each Ofsted report is an analysis of that school’s teachers’ professional competence  Plus, whether Ofsted’s performance standards have been met across the school. There are three possible outcomes: under-achieving; achieving; or outstanding.

To search you put in the name of any school. You then can access its history of Ofsted inspections and their associated scores, percentage of Progress 8 success, etc. 

How do I find the best primary school?

More refined searches are recommended. So, for primary schools, we advise checking the percentage of students meeting the expected standards. The national standard is 65%, so if the school you are checking exceeded that in its latest inspection?

If so, shortlist it as one option.

Doing this for all the primary schools in your catchment area.

You now have a shortlist of schools which can review at your leisure.

Provided this is a relatively short’ list, then visit each school for yourself.

Make your decision as much based on your own intuition and gut feel – as on the data described above.

Primarily, ask yourself whether the school atmosphere and ethos are a good fit for your child.

Primary school league tables 2022 – 2022 best primary schools in UK – top primary schools 2022

Best UK state primary schools 2022, London prep schools League table 2022 and Northern Ireland state secondary schools League table 2022.