Thomas Jones Primary School

Romeo and Juliet in Year Six, chess tournaments organised by pupils, and a nursery with outdoor learning: Thomas Jones gives academic ambition a recognisable personality. This mixed community primary in Notting Hill, in Kensington and Chelsea, educates pupils aged 3 to 11. Its whole-school roll is 234, and it has one form of entry.

The combination of exceptional attainment and thoughtful support is compelling. In the 2024/25 school year, 93% reached the expected standard across reading, writing and mathematics, against 62% across England. Ofsted awarded Outstanding overall and in every graded area following its visit on 17 and 18 October 2023. Access needs careful planning: Reception demand is substantial, and a nursery place does not secure progression into Reception.

Books give Thomas Jones much of its character. Stories are displayed around the school, older pupils encounter classic literature, and reading is treated as something to enjoy as well as master. That emphasis has substance: Year Three studies The Mousehole Cat, while Year Six tackles Romeo and Juliet. Families seeking ambitious reading material will find a clearer statement of intent here than a generic promise of high expectations.

Headteacher David Sellens, OBE, leads the school. The staff team has considerable continuity, with many colleagues having worked here for several years. Governance adds scrutiny: governors examine subjects, safeguarding, SEND and learning outcomes, alongside the practical business of running the school. Stability matters because pupils benefit from adults who understand the curriculum and its expectations over time.

The motto is 'Be kind and friendly'. It sits alongside firm standards for conduct, uniform and the way pupils speak to others. Pupils are courteous and articulate, concentrate carefully in lessons and take responsibility seriously. This is a school where warmth and clear rules work together. Families should expect their child to be encouraged to participate, listen and contribute to an orderly classroom.

Early years has its own purposeful setting. The nursery combines a classroom that supports movement between activities with an outdoor learning environment. Meals are shared in small table groups led by the nursery team, making lunchtime part of learning to cooperate and manage everyday routines. Nursery and Reception also have art stations with materials children can choose independently. The physical opportunities support the stated emphasis on play, communication and growing independence.

The school reports receiving the Sunday Times Primary School of the Year award in 2026. That recognition adds context, but the more useful indicators for parents are the curriculum detail, attainment and everyday support described throughout this review.

In the 2024/25 school year, with results from summer 2025, 93% of the 30-pupil Year Six cohort met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics together. The England average was 62%. At the higher standard across those subjects, Thomas Jones achieved 27%, compared with 8% across England. These are strong results at both thresholds: success extends beyond getting pupils over the expected-standard line.

FindMySchool's proprietary rankings, built from official data, place Thomas Jones among the highest-performing primary schools in England. It ranks 55th of 14,951 in England for KS2 results, the top 0.4%. The comparison is against all schools in England with published KS2 results, state and independent. Its overall England position is 35th. Within Kensington and Chelsea, it ranks 2nd.

The subject detail for summer 2025 is equally useful. Average scaled scores were 113 in both reading and mathematics, and 116 in grammar, punctuation and spelling, against the expected-standard benchmark of 100. Reading and grammar, punctuation and spelling each had 83% achieving a high score; mathematics had 77%. Writing reached greater depth for 27% of pupils. In science, 93% met the expected standard, against an England average of 82%.

These figures describe one cohort, rather than the experience of every pupil. With 30 pupils, individual outcomes can noticeably affect percentages. Parents should read the results alongside the teaching and support arrangements: regular checks on understanding, adapted lessons and prompt help with phonics give a practical explanation for how pupils are helped to succeed. Attainment is impressive; the important question for an individual family is how those methods will work for their child.

Literature leads English teaching, but the curriculum reaches much further. History and geography organise connected topics, while French, mathematics, science and other subjects also receive separate teaching. Pupils are expected to recognise the knowledge and methods belonging to each discipline. The result is a connected curriculum with identifiable subject content, rather than topics that blur what children are actually learning.

The detail is persuasive. Year Four moves through A tour around Europe, Building an Empire and Planet Earth. Its science includes electricity, sound and states of matter, while art introduces David Hockney and still-life work linked to Giorgio Morandi. Those choices give pupils several ways to explore place, change and observation. They also give parents concrete starting points for conversations about learning at home.

Lessons use short stages, teacher demonstrations, questions and discussion to keep understanding under review. Previously learned material is revisited so pupils can connect it with new work. Vocabulary receives deliberate attention: timelines, maps and key words support learning, and pupils practise using subject terminology accurately. In history, pupils can reason about how the Second World War changed women's roles and connect that discussion with stereotypes. Knowledge is used to explain an idea, rather than simply recited.

Early reading has daily phonics teaching, with reading books matched to pupils' developing knowledge of sounds. Extra help is introduced promptly when a pupil struggles. In the early years, songs and rhymes support language and number, while adults help children recognise emotions and respond thoughtfully to others. This gives the youngest pupils a foundation for participating in lessons as well as learning their first academic skills.

Learning support is organised around individual needs. Lindsay Johnson is the SENDCo, supported by assistant SENDCo Abi Kantoch. Class teachers remain the first contact for parents. Support may involve work in a small group, targeted individual help, classroom visuals, sensory resources or specialist advice. Plans and their impact are reviewed termly, allowing families to discuss what has helped and what should change.

The summer 2026 parent questionnaire raised requests for more academic support and greater individual challenge. The school's response describes interventions in every class and additional booster sessions beginning in the summer term of Year Five and the autumn term of Year Six. Weekly home learning consolidates classroom work, and class coffee mornings provide opportunities to discuss expectations. Parents of a pupil who needs extra stretch or help should ask for specific examples of the work and support proposed.

Thomas Jones prepares pupils for secondary school through secure subject knowledge, confident reading and increasing responsibility. Its curriculum includes French, practical science and mathematical reasoning, giving pupils experience of the disciplines they will continue after Year Six. Older pupils also encounter substantial literature, so the move towards more demanding reading has already begun.

Transition support is especially explicit for pupils with additional needs. Staff discuss individual needs, progress and successful support strategies at changes of class and key stage. For pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan, the school arranges or participates in a review sufficiently before the move to the next phase, with parents involved. The purpose is to pass on useful knowledge about the pupil, rather than leave the receiving school to start again.

Named secondary destinations and a destination breakdown are not established here. This is not published in the evidence we hold. Families should ask which schools recent leavers joined and how transition works with their likely choices. The documented support process is useful, but it does not establish a usual secondary destination or an entitlement to a particular school.

Reception applications follow Kensington and Chelsea's coordinated admissions arrangements. Pupils enter in September after their fourth birthday. The admissions page places children in local-authority care and those with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school first, followed by siblings already attending, children of staff, then those living nearest. Parents should check the applicable borough policy before applying, especially where a priority category is relevant.

Demand is considerable. In 2025, there were 207 applications and 28 offers. The last place offered under the distance criterion was at 0.154 miles in 2025. Distances vary annually based on applicant distribution; proximity provides priority but does not guarantee a place. That very short historical distance makes it sensible to consider realistic alternatives alongside Thomas Jones.

The deadline for September 2026 Reception entry was 15 January 2026 and has passed. Families planning a later start should check the borough's next application cycle. For an in-year application, the school directs parents to its office or the borough admissions team. Individual or small-group tours are arranged weekly, led by pupils and involving the head or another senior leader. Arrange a visit directly to explore how the school would suit your child.

Nursery admission is a separate process, with applications made to the school. Entry is normally in September after a child's third birthday. For September 2027 entry, applications opened on 2 September 2026 and close on 29 January 2027; offers are due to begin in March 2027. The acceptance form must be returned within two weeks of the offer letter's date.

The nursery policy gives priority in sequence to pupils who attended the nursery in 2025/26, children in or immediately previously in local-authority care under the specified legal arrangements, children of staff subject to borough conditions, and siblings of pupils in Reception to Year Four. It then prioritises those living nearest, initially those within 0.2 miles, followed by applicants seeking full-time attendance. Where siblings outnumber places, distance also applies. Nursery admission does not guarantee Reception admission: a separate application through the local authority remains necessary.

Calm behaviour is a defining strength, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning, with little disruption in lessons. Personal Development teaching covers relationships, emotions, respect for difference and staying safe online. The benefit is practical: pupils are taught language and strategies for handling difficulties, alongside clear expectations about how they treat one another.

Melissa Kiley is the Mental Health Lead Teacher. The school works with a Play Therapist, the Educational Psychology Team and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). Every classroom has a calm corner, and lunchtime wellbeing spaces provide another option when needed. There is also a quiet playground area for pupils who prefer a break from physical games. These are useful provisions for children who need somewhere less busy during the day.

Behaviour management starts with praise, guidance and opportunities to put things right. It also includes sanctions, including lost playtime and time with a senior leader; suspension can be considered for serious or continuing behaviour. For pupils with SEND, the policy recognises that routines, boundaries, equipment or the environment may need adapting. Parents should discuss the adjustments their child requires, rather than assume that a calm school means every child responds to the same approach.

Physical access includes playground ramps, wide doorways and an accessible toilet. Participation in clubs and wraparound care for pupils with disabilities is intended in principle, but may depend on recruiting appropriate staff and requires advance discussion with the family. That condition matters when planning an extended school day.

The summer 2026 parent feedback also raised concerns about SEND communication, emotional support and listening to behaviour worries. The school's response points to three support-plan meetings a year and further conversations when needed. Families with additional needs should use those meetings to agree clear outcomes, responsibilities and communication arrangements.

Chess is a telling example of pupil initiative: pupils organise their own tournaments during social time. Yoga, history, cookery and art clubs add different ways to participate, while musical events and sporting competitions offer occasions to perform or compete. The appeal is broader than winning. Pupils can pursue an interest, work alongside others and take a more active role in school life.

Sport has identifiable teaching arrangements and spaces. A coach from Sport and Health Academy teaches classes from Reception to Year Six alongside the class teacher, with another lesson led by the teacher. PE uses the hall or enclosed outdoor space. Curriculum examples include tag rugby, tennis and athletics in younger years, with hockey, netball and swimming appearing later. Families get a clearer picture of physical education from those details than from a general claim about sporting strength.

There is a practical qualification. In the summer 2026 questionnaire, parents requested fewer cancellations of PE and swimming and more choice of sports clubs. The school's response acknowledges that capacity can sometimes cause cancellations and that space constrains club provision. Its stated intention to review clubs during the autumn term should be treated as a planned response, rather than confirmation that new activities are already available. Check the current timetable if a particular sport matters to your child.

Creative work develops through the curriculum and performance. Year Three art connects seascapes with JMW Turner and nature and symmetry with Andy Goldsworthy. Year Four explores printing through Islamic art and architecture. Each class from Reception upwards presents an assembly during the school year, usually incorporating drama. Year Six staged Treasure Island in July 2025, a specific example of older pupils bringing a substantial story to performance.

Music includes instrumental work and contrasting musical styles. Year Three studies Glockenspiel 1 and Three Little Birds, while Year Five's map includes Motown and Jazz 1. Music lessons are available across the school. Parents interested in a particular instrument should ask about access and arrangements, since the summer 2026 feedback included requests for more instrumental opportunities.

The nature garden adds a different setting for learning. Following its refurbishment, most classes have used it for science and celebrations. Responsibility is another strand: pupils can serve as librarians, lunchtime monitors or school council members. These roles give children useful work to do for others, making contribution part of the school experience.

The main school building dates from the 1970s, the school has confirmed.

Pupils should be ready in the playground at 8.50am and are collected at 3.20pm. Nursery runs from 9am to 3.15pm. Breakfast club and Play Plus provide wraparound care, with nursery access dependent on pupils having settled successfully. Breakfast club does not require advance booking; Play Plus places must be booked for the term, and nursery families should agree a suitable start date with the class teacher. Exact wraparound opening and closing times are not established here. This is not published in the evidence we hold.

For 2027/28, the nursery handbook confirms 15 government-funded hours per week for 38 weeks per year, with a 30-hour attendance pattern for eligible families. Check current nursery charges with the school and eligibility through government funding guidance. The handbook requires a full term of written notice when withdrawing a child.

Lunches are cooked on site using organic produce, with wholemeal pasta and freshly baked wholemeal bread. Communicated allergies and intolerances are catered for; when meat is served, a halal option is available. Healthy packed lunches are another choice.

Uniform is compulsory, and only the PE T-shirt is branded. Support with uniform costs is available for families who struggle to pay, and second-hand sales are advertised periodically. Reception and older pupils wear a winter tie; Year Six pupils have a summer boater hat. For planning ahead, the autumn half-term holiday runs from 26 to 30 October 2026.

• Reception access. The 2025 distance offer reached only 0.154 miles, amid 207 applications for 28 offers. Use that as a historical indication of demand and consider alternative schools. Distances vary annually based on applicant distribution; proximity provides priority but does not guarantee a place.
• Nursery progression. A nursery place does not secure a Reception place. Families seeking continuity must complete the separate borough application and meet its admissions requirements.
• Space and activities. Parent feedback in summer 2026 requested broader sports clubs and more reliable PE and swimming. Capacity and space can limit provision, so check the activities available for your child's year.
• Individual support and communication. Parents also requested clearer SEND communication and more individual academic challenge. Discuss the support plan, review arrangements and level of stretch before deciding whether the school fits your child.

Thomas Jones is best suited to families seeking ambitious primary learning, substantial literature and clear behavioural expectations, with structured support for pupils who need additional help. Its summer 2025 attainment is exceptional, and the combination of daily phonics, demanding texts and carefully reviewed teaching gives those results educational substance.

The attraction extends beyond tests: art, music, pupil responsibilities and wellbeing spaces add depth to daily life. The principal caveat is access, followed by the need to check how space, clubs and individual support will work for your child. Arrange a pupil-led tour, discuss specific needs and keep the nursery and Reception application routes firmly separate.