England’s 10 best primary schools in 2024 have been crowned by the Times

Ah primary school, what a time! Tray-bakes and custard, hula hoops, own-clothes days, ear piercing recorder lessons, Christmas plays and best of all, no adult responsibilities. Now, lots of the primary school kids of the ’90s and ’00s are probably responsible for choosing a school for their own little ’uns. 

There are more than 16,000 primary schools across the UK, so there’s plenty of choice out there. Still, some parents will go to great lengths to ensure that their child gets into the best of them. Wondering which ones are indeed the best? The Sunday Times Parent Power league table has your answer. 

The Times has revealed its pick of the top 10 primary schools in England, based on the percentage of pupils who achieved their expected grade in the 2023 SATs tests. It looked at average SATs scores in English, grammar, and maths, and then created an overall average to find the school’s position. Two thirds of the highest performers were in the south of England, mostly dominated by London institutions. 

So, without further ado, these are England’s top 10 primary schools right now, according to the times.

Top 10 primary schools in England 2024, according to the Times

1. Hampden Gurney CofE Primary School, Westminster
2. Lowbrook Academy, Maidenhead  
3. St Stephen’s RC Primary School, East Ham
4. St Andrew’s RC Primary School, Streatham
5. Judith Kerr Primary School, Southwark 
6. St Ives Primary and Nursery School, St Ives
7. The Russell School, Hertfordshire
8. Carlton Junior and Infant School, Dewsbury
9. Hartwell Primary School, Hartwell 
10. South Farnham School, Farnham 

You can find out where London schools placed in the list here.

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Got a big kid heading to high school next year?  Have a look at this list of the UK’s 10 best state secondary schools and this one of England’s 10 best private schools. If you’re interested in university rankings, we’ve covered those too. Take your pick from Times Higher Education, the Sunday Times 2025 ranking, the Daily Mail, the Guardian or the Academic Ranking of World Universities. 

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