Chelsea state primary schools

[SW1newbie]

Hello. We’re moving to central London soon and wondered if anyone had up to date experience of the state primaries around the Kings Road/Sloane Square/Victoria area? I’ve spoken to the council and there are spaces at quite a few in the area (which is reassuring). But I would appreciate any feedback to help me come up with a shortlist to visit. Thank you!

The best in Chelsea is Christ church:

https://www.ccht.rbkc.sch.uk/

The sister school (Holy Trinity) is not as good.

Best in Belgravia (very close to Victoria station) is St Peter’s Eaton Sq:

https://www.stpeaton.org.uk/

Don’t be out off by the ofsted, it has the best SATS results for miles around.

Thanks- that’s helpful to know. I did pause at the latest St Peter’s OFSTED but will go and see it with an open mind. Do you know if Holy Trinity is improving now it’s part of the Christchurch federation?

Holy Trinity has been twinned with Christ Church for years but it has a very different demographic and less good SATs results.

In its last ofted inspection, St Peter’s received good or outstanding for everything except curriculum which was judged to be “requires improvement”. If a school’s curriculum is judged to be “requires improvement” then the entire grade has to be “requires improvement” which seems very unfair. Especially since the only reason the curriculum was RI is because a new head came in and discovered that the previous head had been teaching the wrong curriculum and no one had picked up on it because the school hadn’t been inspected for over 10 years due to previous outstanding ofsted grade. At the time of the most recent inspection the curriculum had been overhauled and corrected but the ofsted inspectors said it wasn’t quite “bedded in” yet.

Christ Church is oversubscribed so you will need a baptism certificate and clergy form to get a place. You’ll find that almost all other local state primaries are undersubscribed in central London.

Christ Church is oversubscribed so you will need a baptism certificate and clergy form to get a place. You’ll find that almost all other local state primaries are undersubscribed in central London.

As with any mainstream state primary, faith or not, if there is a place in your year group.and you are the only applicant, even if you are an atheist living the other end of the country, you must be given it. On the other hand, having the highest possible level of clergy support won't magic up a place if there isn't one- although it will improve your ranking on the waiting list.

Right, but this particular school is oversubscribed and has a waiting list. They therefore apply their very rigid religious admission criteria. You would find it very difficult to get in without a baptism certificate and clearly form, especially if you’re looking for a reception place. I know this from first hand experience.

Just coming back to this thread to ask if anyone has experience of Marlborough Primary School? Thanks!

following

Will try setting up a new thread to ask about Marlborough to see if that generates more responses…..(I have to make a quick decision so am v keen to hear feedback from others if possible!).

Have you checked the SATS results for Marlborough? I haven’t looked for a while but they weren’t brilliant when I was deciding.

school seemed nice and calm when i visited and much more space than local pvt. the sats seem to be well above for eng, maths. am looking for non faith and we do a lot with my son at home anyway so am ok if school is not so intensive.

Christ Church Primary in Chelsea is definitely NOT the best school in Chelsea. It hasn’t been inspected by ofsted for over a decade, although it was finally inspected in July 2024 so look out for the new report.

The “different demographic” at Holy Trinity mentioned above is local children from a lower socio-economic background, and more brown children and SEN children, it’s a simple as that.

Christ Church families are overwhelming white, no SEN kids, and not local: they’re all lower middle class from Battersea, with siblings, that’s why it’s “oversubscribed”: there just isn’t many places available each year because siblings take up around 25 of the places guaranteed to them, so there’s only a few of the spaces left.

A friend of mine had a child at Christ Church and absolutely hated the pretentious echo chamber of everyone convincing themselves that it’s a great school - it’s not a good school and its reputation is based on the wannabe Chelsea moms from Battersea who kid themselves (you’ve probably already gathered by the way the it’s been dictated above).

Lots of children leave Christ Church too - the waiting list often opens up

I know a lot about this school as a local parent myself and because I have heard so much local complaining about it 😂 there are a lot of unintentionally hilarious (but awful) experiences shared on Next Door app..

Maybe wait to see the new Ofsted report and visit the school, and ask the head questions - make your own judgement on whether the answers are satisfactory.

(PS my friend moved her children to MPS and LOVES it)

Very helpful info, thank you all!

How about Chelsea Open Air? We have a spot there for our 3yo but MPS offered one too and we can’t decide which to pick.

Christchurch we're happy to meet my son until I turned up with him because he is mixed race. I am English and the look that was given.
I don't know who I spoke to but the look of disdain. They obviously thought he would be a white child.

I was fobbed off with They would let me know. Luckily I got him into another school who did not pour disdainful looks at my poor boy.

2 people died in that building. It's haunted.

The person died in the bathroom in 1990.