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Schools hub

Best areas in London for schools.

We score every London postcode out of 100 for schools by combining Ofsted ratings, school density within a mile, and the mix of primary and secondary provision. The ranking below shows where families consistently find the strongest options.

Our schools score weights Outstanding and Good Ofsted judgements (including the new 2024 report-card framework) over Requires Improvement, then factors in how many of those schools sit within a one-mile catchment of the representative postcode. State and academy schools are included; independent fee-paying schools sit alongside but are reported separately.

Pick any postcode for the per-area breakdown: every school listed with distance and inspection status, primary vs secondary split, and neighbours that score higher or lower for schools.

Top 10 London postcodes

Ranked by schools score across 32 postcodes we cover.

  1. 1SE22Goose Green, Southwark100/100
  2. 2SE21Dulwich Wood, Southwark100/100
  3. 3SE23Perry Vale, Lewisham100/100
  4. 4SE15Rye Lane, Southwark100/100
  5. 5SE24Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction, Lambeth100/100
  6. 6SE19Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood, Croydon100/100
  7. 7SE26Sydenham, Lewisham100/100
  8. 8SW11Shaftesbury & Queenstown, Wandsworth100/100
  9. 9SW12Balham, Wandsworth100/100
  10. 10SW17Tooting Bec, Wandsworth100/100

All London postcodes we cover

Jump straight to the full school list and Ofsted ratings for any postcode.

Frequently asked questions

Which London postcode has the best schools?
The top of the ranking above shows the postcodes where the Ofsted-weighted score is highest. SE21, SE22, SW19, NW3 and TW10 are perennial strong performers, but the live ranking changes as new inspections land.
Does the score include independent (private) schools?
The main score is based on state-funded primary and secondary schools because that's what most families use as a baseline. Each per-postcode page lists nearby independents separately so fee-paying families can factor them in.
How recent are the Ofsted ratings?
We refresh from the Get Information About Schools dataset and Ofsted's report-card publications. The new framework (introduced 2024) replaces the single-word judgement with sub-area ratings — we map Leadership and Management to the headline status for ranking purposes.
What's a 'good' schools score?
Anything above 75/100 means the postcode has multiple Outstanding or Good schools within easy reach. Below 50 typically means thinner provision, more Requires Improvement schools, or both — worth combining with the catchment data on the full report.
Do school catchments match the postcode?
Not always — admissions are set by individual schools and can be tighter than a mile. Use the schools score for shortlisting, then check each school's most recent admissions cut-off before committing.

Want the full picture?

Every postcode also gets a full SettleWithUs report — schools, safety, commute, council tax and green space on one yardstick.

Search any London postcode