Find the best primary schools in Camden. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Camden has 38 primary schools, all in Camden council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 38, 18 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Camden primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Christ Church Primary School, Hampstead | Church of England | 4.9 / 5 |
| Eleanor Palmer Primary School | Mixed | 4.9 / 5 |
| Abacus Belsize Primary School | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| St Eugene de Mazenod Roman Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.8 / 5 |
| St Luke's Church of England School | Church of England | 4.8 / 5 |
| St George the Martyr Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.7 / 5 |
| Fitzjohn's Primary School | Mixed | 4.7 / 5 |
| Torriano Primary School |
There are 38 primary schools in Camden.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 38 primary schools in Camden, 18 have a religious character: 13 Church of England and 5 Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Christ Church Primary School, Hampstead (4.9), Eleanor Palmer Primary School (4.9), Abacus Belsize Primary School (4.8), St Eugene de Mazenod Roman Catholic Primary School (4.8) and St Luke's Church of England School (4.8). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. All 38 schools here have a rating.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
| Mixed |
| 4.7 / 5 |
| Emmanuel Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.7 / 5 |
| Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.5 / 5 |
| Edith Neville Primary School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Kingsgate Primary School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| New End Primary School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Rosary Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.5 / 5 |
| Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, NW3 | Church of England | 4.4 / 5 |
| Fleet Primary School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| St Josephs Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.3 / 5 |
| St Paul's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Kentish Town Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Christopher Hatton Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Netley Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Primrose Hill School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| St Mary's Kilburn Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.2 / 5 |
| St Patrick's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.2 / 5 |
| Rhyl Community Primary School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Argyle Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Holy Trinity and Saint Silas CofE Primary School, NW1 | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| West Hampstead Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Gospel Oak Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Christ Church School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Our Lady Roman Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.8 / 5 |
| Richard Cobden Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Brecknock Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| St Alban's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| St Mary and St Pancras Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| Brookfield Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Kings Cross Academy | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Hawley Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.