Alexandra Primary School, Hounslow Review 2026: High-attainment primary with strong routines and a broad curriculum

A large, busy Hounslow primary where academic outcomes are well above England averages, and routines are clear enough that learning time is protected. The school’s most recent Key Stage 2 picture is particularly strong: 81.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, and 28.67% reached the higher standard, far above the England higher standard benchmark.

Leadership is stable. Mr John Norton has been headteacher since September 2017, and the school describes an ethos built around “no limits”, respect and compassion.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. What families do pay for tends to sit in the practical category: wraparound care, uniform, and optional activities. Wraparound is clearly structured, with breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care until 5.45pm.

Alexandra Primary School positions itself as a school where pupils are encouraged to have a go, learn from mistakes, and build resilience. That framing matters in a larger setting, because it signals that confidence and effort are expected, not just compliance. It also aligns with the way the curriculum is presented publicly, with a strong emphasis on attitudes to learning and on children’s character development alongside subject knowledge.

The size is a defining feature. With a published capacity of 720, it operates at a scale where systems and consistency really matter, and this is where the school’s strengths show up. Expectations are clear, behaviour is described as calm around the site, and pupils are encouraged to take responsibility through leadership roles such as school council, eco leaders and play leaders.

Early years is not bolted on as an afterthought. Nursery is part of the age range, and the school day structure makes that visible, with separate nursery session times and a clear routine for the main school day. For families comparing local options, this matters because it signals continuity from age 3 into Reception, with an established approach to early language and early reading.

A final, very practical part of daily atmosphere is the immediate streetscape. Denbigh Road operates with School Street access restrictions at key times on weekdays in term time, which changes the feel of drop-off and pick-up, and nudges families towards walking, cycling or parking slightly further away.

The performance story is strongest at Key Stage 2. In the most recent dataset provided here, 81.67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. Against an England average of 62%, that is a meaningful gap and suggests the school is doing more than simply tracking the national picture.

At the higher standard, 28.67% reached greater depth in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the England benchmark of 8%. That is the sort of figure that usually reflects two things: secure foundations earlier in the school, and teaching that is consistent enough for more pupils to move from competence into confidence and fluency.

Scaled scores reinforce the same pattern. Reading is 107, mathematics is 106, and grammar, punctuation and spelling is 109, all of which sit above the typical England reference point of 100. The combined reading, maths and GPS total is 322, which is another way of seeing that attainment is not concentrated in one area.

Rankings provide useful context for parents trying to compare nearby schools on like-for-like measures. Alexandra Primary School, Hounslow is ranked 2,829th in England for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 20th within Hounslow. This reflects performance that sits above England average, placing it comfortably within the top 25% of primary schools in England.

If you are comparing multiple primaries locally, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you view these figures side by side, especially where two schools both look “good” on inspection but differ sharply in attainment and higher standard depth.

The curriculum is described as broad and ambitious, with careful thought given to sequencing, so that knowledge and skills build over time rather than repeating in disconnected units. In practice, this shows up most clearly in the way early mathematics and physical education are described, where foundational techniques are practised first, then applied later when pupils have the confidence to work with greater complexity.

Reading is treated as a priority from the start. Early language is positioned as beginning in nursery and continuing through Reception, supported by a consistent phonics approach and books that closely match the sounds pupils are learning. The implication for families is straightforward: if your child needs clarity, repetition and a well-structured route into reading, the school’s published approach is aligned with that need.

There is also a practical layer to teaching quality that matters in a large primary: checking understanding and identifying misconceptions. The school’s external review points to teachers typically checking learning during lessons, which helps keep pupils from drifting into partial understanding.

One important nuance is that the curriculum is ambitious, but delivery needs to stay sharp across every foundation subject. The school’s improvement priority is about ensuring teaching focuses consistently on the most important concepts in some foundation subjects, so that pupils’ understanding is as secure there as it is in core areas. This is not unusual in larger schools with broad curricular aims, but it is worth weighing if your child has particular strengths in humanities or foundation subjects and thrives on depth and detail.

As a Hounslow primary, transition is shaped by the borough’s secondary admissions cycle. The school provides families with signposting to a wide range of local secondary schools within the borough, including options such as Bolder Academy, Chiswick School, Heston Community School, Lampton School, Reach Academy Feltham, Rivers Academy, Springwest Academy, The Green School for Boys, and The Green School for Girls, among others.

The practical implication is that pupils typically move on to a mix of community schools, academies and faith schools depending on family preference, location, and oversubscription criteria at the point of transfer. Families who want to plan early can treat Year 5 as the moment to start mapping likely travel routes and to attend open evenings in the autumn of Year 6.

For families with children in nursery, the longer-term question is often continuity into Reception. Nursery does not automatically guarantee a Reception place in state admissions, so it is sensible to treat nursery as a strong early start, but still follow the formal Reception application route and deadlines.

Reception admissions are coordinated through Hounslow’s online application process. For September 2026 entry, applications opened on 1 September 2025 and the deadline was 15 January 2026. Late applications are processed after on-time allocations.

Demand data provided here suggests real competition for places. For the entry route measured, there were 239 applications and 83 offers, which equates to 2.88 applications per offered place, and the school is described as oversubscribed. This typically means allocations become highly sensitive to oversubscription criteria and, in many primaries, to distance or sibling priority, depending on the local authority’s published arrangements.

Nursery admissions operate differently. The school’s nursery admissions information for September 2026 indicates that applications opened on 1 January 2026, and that families complete a nursery application form and return it directly to the school. For nursery fee details, families should use the school’s official information rather than relying on second-hand figures, and eligible families may also wish to consider government-funded early education hours.

For families trying to shortlist realistically, it helps to separate two questions: is the school a good fit, and is the school a plausible allocation. Using distance-check tools and reading the borough’s determined admissions arrangements will give a clearer sense of how tough the allocation can be in a given year group.

Pastoral care is described as a clear strength, with a culture where pupils know they can speak to adults when they need help, and where bullying is described as rare and addressed quickly. That matters for families with children who are anxious, new to English, or simply navigating the social complexity of a large primary.

Support for specific groups is also highlighted, including support for young carers within the school community. This kind of detail is worth paying attention to because it usually signals a school that has thought carefully about how family circumstances affect pupils’ readiness to learn.

Safeguarding is described as effective, with staff training and clear referral routes, and pupils learning about safety through the curriculum, including online risks and age-appropriate understanding of consent and healthy relationships.

Extracurricular life at Alexandra has a practical, structured feel. Morning clubs run 8.00am to 8.45am for Key Stage 2, and afternoon clubs run 3.30pm to 4.30pm, which can suit families who want a short, consistent extension to the day without committing to longer wraparound care.

There are also named activities that help the offer feel concrete rather than generic. Techno Kids runs on Thursdays during school hours, and guitar lessons are listed on Tuesdays during the school day, which will appeal to families who want a clear route into computing-style enrichment or instrumental learning without having to manage off-site logistics.

Sport has visible opportunities for pupils to represent the school. The school’s published competition record includes participation in Quadkids and a Year 5/6 Kwik Cricket competition, with the June 2025 entry described as a win. The implication is that sport is not only recreational; there is a pathway into borough competitions for pupils who enjoy fixtures and team events.

Leadership roles add another strand beyond clubs. Pupils can take on responsibilities through school council and roles such as eco leaders and play leaders, which can be especially valuable for children who gain confidence through responsibility and contribution rather than through performance alone.

School hours are clearly set out. Nursery runs as separate morning and afternoon sessions (8.45am to 11.45am; 12.30pm to 3.30pm). For Reception to Year 6, the main school day runs 8.55am to 3.30pm, with doors opening earlier for settling in.

Wraparound is available. Breakfast club runs 7:45am to 8:45am, and after-school care runs 3.30pm to 5.45pm, both based in the Community Room outside the school office. Charges are published as £4.50 per day for pre-booked breakfast club and £9.00 per day for pre-booked after-school care, with higher drop-in rates.

Travel planning is helped by the school’s own travel information, which notes Hounslow East (Piccadilly line) as the nearest Underground station, and lists local bus routes including 110, 111, 281, H20 and H28. Families driving should also note School Street restrictions on Denbigh Road and part of Tiverton Road at key times on weekdays in term time.

• Oversubscription pressure. With 2.88 applications per offered place in the measured entry route, allocation can be competitive. Families should read the borough’s admissions arrangements and plan early.

• Curriculum consistency across foundation subjects. The school’s stated improvement priority is about ensuring teaching focuses consistently on the most important concepts in some foundation subjects, so understanding is as secure there as it is in core areas.

• School Street restrictions affect logistics. Access limits on Denbigh Road and part of Tiverton Road at drop-off and pick-up times can be a benefit for safety and calm, but it may require families to adjust driving and parking habits.

• Wraparound is available, but it is a paid service. Breakfast club and after-school care charges are published, so it is worth costing out what a typical week looks like for your family.

Alexandra Primary School, Hounslow combines strong Key Stage 2 outcomes with a structured, well-established approach to curriculum and routines. It is likely to suit families who value clear expectations, above-average attainment, and practical wraparound options, and who are comfortable with the scale of a large primary. Entry remains the key hurdle, and families should plan admissions carefully and early.