Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School Review 2026: High-attaining Catholic primary with calm routines and strong destinations

A small Catholic primary in South Kensington, this is a place where strong academic outcomes sit alongside unusually settled behaviour. The most recent Ofsted inspection (6 to 7 December 2023) judged the school Good overall, with Outstanding for Behaviour and Attitudes.

Academic performance is a clear strength. In 2024, 83% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 42% achieved greater depth, well above the England average of 8%. Scaled scores were also strong (Reading 109, Maths 110, GPS 109).

This sits behind a competitive admissions picture. Reception entry attracted 91 applications for 22 offers in the latest data, around 4.14 applications per place, so securing a place is often the main hurdle rather than the experience once children are in.

Calm is the recurring theme, and it is not accidental. The 2023 inspection describes clear, consistent routines and warm relationships between pupils and staff, with pupils confident about who to speak to if worried. That kind of culture matters in a small primary, because it shapes everything from transitions between lessons to how confidently pupils attempt harder work.

The school’s mission statement is explicit and used as lived language rather than branding, Led by Christ, we learn and grow together in God’s family. It is paired with a practical focus on behaviour and citizenship, encouraging pupils to take responsibility in school and in the wider community.

Faith life is not bolted on. A Section 48 inspection (May 2023) points to pupils’ confidence in speaking about Catholic identity, regular worship, and pupil roles that sit within the school’s wider approach to service, including Caritas Young Ambassadors and the Young Missionaries programme.

There is also a distinct local story. The school’s roots lie in the late 1800s as a parish “Poor School”, while the current building was originally a Victorian board school dating to 1884. That long arc is not just trivia, it helps explain why the school reads as both deeply local and unusually cosmopolitan in outlook.

Results in this review are based on FindMySchool rankings and official outcomes data.

Primary performance (2024)

• 83% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined (England average: 62%).

• 42% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined (England average: 8%).

• Scaled scores: Reading 109, Maths 110, GPS 109.

Those figures translate into a strong national position. Ranked 847th in England and 11th in Kensington and Chelsea for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). Put simply, this places the school well above the England average (top 10%), which is the kind of profile families often associate with selective secondaries, not a small local primary.

For parents comparing options, it is worth using the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to place these outcomes alongside other nearby primaries, especially because small-cohort schools can show sharper year-to-year swings.

The 2023 inspection report emphasises an ambitious curriculum with clear sequencing, and it gives specific examples of how early number work is built into later arithmetic fluency, and how early mark-making is developed through art into secure understanding of shade and tone. That matters because it points to curriculum thinking rather than reliance on test technique.

Reading is treated as a priority from the start of Reception, using a phonics approach, with frequent checks and prompt extra support where needed. The practical implication for families is that children who arrive with weaker early literacy are less likely to drift, because the school has a defined mechanism for noticing gaps and acting quickly.

A useful nuance from the same report is where the school is still sharpening practice. In a small number of wider curriculum subjects, checks on what pupils remember over time were not as precise as they could be, so leaders were working to make assessment and long-term retention more consistent across the foundation curriculum. For parents, that reads as a school that has already secured strong routines and core results, and is now tightening the next layer: subject depth and recall beyond the core.

Alongside class teachers, the staffing structure includes specialist inputs that fit the school’s context, including French, music, and singing.

For a primary school in this part of London, “next steps” is rarely one simple pathway. The school publishes a list of secondary destinations, which includes a mix of Catholic secondaries, day independents, and specialist settings. Examples named include The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, The London Oratory, Sacred Heart, Francis Holland, and Lycée Français, alongside others.

The practical takeaway is that the school seems comfortable supporting multiple routes, including academically selective environments and faith-based admissions routes. Families thinking ahead should still treat destinations lists as indicative rather than predictive, because cohorts differ year to year and secondary admissions rules can shift. The best next step is to use the school’s published destinations as a conversation starter about guidance, references, and how the school supports applications across different systems.

For pupils who thrive here, the combination of strong Key Stage 2 outcomes and settled classroom culture is a good platform for competitive secondary entry, whether that is local Catholic provision, selective independent exams, or bilingual education pathways.

Reception entry is coordinated through your home local authority, and the school also requires its own supplementary information form for families applying under faith criteria. The closing date referenced for Reception applications is 15 January 2026, and the published admissions policy sets a Published Admissions Number of 30 for Reception starting September 2026.

Oversubscription criteria are faith-led, as you would expect for a Catholic school, with priority given first to Catholic looked-after and previously looked-after children, then Catholic children living within named parish boundaries, then siblings, and then other categories. Where a tie-break is needed within a category, the policy states that remaining places are offered by random allocation, run independently via the local authority’s electronic system.

Demand data points to a genuinely competitive entry picture, around 4.14 applications per place in the latest figures for Reception entry. That is the kind of ratio where families should treat admission as uncertain unless their circumstances strongly align with the criteria.

The school also references tours for prospective parents, and when specific dates are published they tend to run weekly on Wednesdays in late spring and early summer. Where the website lists tours in the past, treat that as a pattern rather than a promise, and check the current year’s schedule directly.

Parents who want a reality-check on proximity criteria and local alternatives should use FindMySchool Map Search and shortlist tools early, particularly when demand is high and the admissions criteria are specific.

Behaviour is a defining strength here. The inspection report describes pupils behaving exceptionally well in lessons and around school, supported by consistent expectations and routines. That is not only about calm corridors, it is about learning time. In a primary setting, fewer low-level interruptions can translate into deeper reading stamina, more fluent maths practice, and better writing throughput.

Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

The school’s Catholic identity also shapes its pastoral language. The Section 48 report highlights a community ethos that explicitly includes welcoming pupils from different backgrounds and supporting those in need, with a strong thread of charitable action.

The extracurricular offer is specific and organised, rather than a vague “lots of clubs” promise. The school publishes a clubs grid and includes activities such as Drama (Perform), Pottery, Coding, and Chess, alongside multiple age-banded football options, including a Football Team.

That detail matters because it signals a programme designed around both creativity and structured skill-building. Pottery and coding, for example, tend to attract different kinds of learners, and having both on the menu can help quieter pupils find a niche while sport provides an obvious team identity for others.

Practical wraparound is also in place: Breakfast Club runs 8:00am to 8:45am, and the school states after-school provision running until 6:00pm, with the wraparound provision operated by an external provider.

The school day uses a soft start. Gates open at 8:45am, with pupils expected in school by 9:00am for registration, and the day ends at 3:25pm. Breakfast club runs 8:00am to 8:45am, and after-school provision runs until 6:00pm.

Transport details are not set out in a single, dedicated travel page on the school site. Given the South Kensington setting, families typically plan for walking, public transport, or carefully-timed drop-off arrangements, and should check local conditions relevant to their route.

• Entry is competitive. Demand data shows around 4.14 applications per place for Reception in the latest figures. Families should read the oversubscription criteria carefully and keep realistic backup options.

• Faith criteria are meaningful. The admissions policy is explicit that Catholic practice and documentation can affect priority. Families who do not align with the criteria should plan for the possibility that admission may be unlikely in a high-demand year.

• Tie-break can be random allocation. Where applications exceed places within a category, the policy allows allocation by a random system, which can feel uncomfortable for families used to purely distance-based cut-offs.

• Curriculum consistency is still being refined in some subjects. The 2023 inspection flagged that checks on pupils’ long-term learning were not equally precise across a small number of wider curriculum subjects, so parents may want to ask how this has developed since the inspection.

Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School combines a calm, orderly culture with results that sit well above the England average, and it supports a wide spread of secondary destinations. It suits families who want a clearly Catholic primary education, strong routines, and high academic expectations in a small-school setting. The main barrier is securing a place, so this works best for families whose circumstances align closely with the oversubscription criteria and who plan early with realistic alternatives.