In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are above England, and results at 16 were above England in 2026. Fewer pupils miss a lot of school than across England.
Brent at a glance
Ahead of England on results at 11
How Brent's schools compare with England, area by area.
Schools and nurseries20659 primary · 14 secondary · 108 nurseries
Primaries Good or better96%England 96%
Met the standard at 1169%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths53%Attainment 8 50.1, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary25%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school17%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Brent
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council's area. Independent schools take applications directly.
About Brent
Brent is a London borough with 59 mainstream primary schools and 14 mainstream secondary schools. 24.5% of secondary offers are for a school in another council, against 8.0% across England. Secondary places are in high demand: 70.4% got their first choice, against 83.6% across England.
Good to know in Brent
Brent says school admissions criteria can include catchment area, having a brother or sister at the school, or the distance between home and school. Source
If none of your listed schools can offer a place, your child will normally be offered a place at the nearest school to home that still has vacancies. Source
Brent suggests looking at past statistics, such as the furthest distance a place was last offered, to judge how likely your application is to succeed. Source
Brent can only tell you your waiting list position for community primary schools. Source
From Brent council's website, checked 7 November 2026. Check the council's pages before you apply.
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day.
88.5%got their first-choice primary school in Brent in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 130 of 151 councils. 98.1% got one of their top three.13.3% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
70.4%got their first-choice secondary school in Brent in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 131 of 151 councils. 89.2% got one of their top three.24.5% were offered a secondary school in another council. England: 8.0%.
Source: DfE applications and offers, 2026. A low rate shows high demand, not poor schools.
0 of 21 primary appeals heard in Brent succeeded in 2025. 10 of 131 secondary appeals heard in Brent succeeded in 2025.
For schools that follow the council's dates. Academies, faith and foundation schools can set their own, and schools add training days. Source, checked 6 November 2026.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Numbers that sum up Brent
BrentEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 48 primaries with one.
96%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
9 of the 9 with a grade.
100%
England 93%
Above England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
69%
England 62%
Above England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
53%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
17%
England 18%
Better than England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
25%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 69 schools that have one.
97%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding14
Good53
Requires improvement1
Inadequate1
How it has changed
Brent in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1169% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths53% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school17% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
The figures in full
The latest published year for each measure. Sources and years are on our data sources page.
Measure
Brent
England
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)
97%
95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)
69%
62%
Attainment 8
50.1
46.2
Persistent absence
17%
18%
Pupils per teacher
17.2:1
17.9:1
Spending per pupil
£9,147
£8,120
In education or work after 16
94%
91%
Went on to higher education
65%
56%
Pupils with special educational needs
18%
21%
Pupils with English as an additional language
64%
22%
Pupils on free school meals
27%
27%
DfE local authority code 304, ONS code E09000005.
Living here
What it's like for families
Brent has 206 schools and nurseries.
Pupil numbers are about the same as in 2018.
25% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Brent's state schools each January.
47.6k2018
48.3k2019
47.9k2021
48.1k2022
48.4k2023
48.5k2024
48.5k2025
48.1k2026
Up 1% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Brent25%
Keep up with schools in Brent
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Brent has 206 schools, including 78 primary schools, 32 secondary schools, 108 nurseries, 14 independent schools, 11 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in Brent?+
The highest-ranked schools in Brent on Eduscope are Michaela Community School, St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, East Lane Primary School. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in Brent are rated Good or Outstanding?+
97% of inspected schools in Brent hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 14 schools rated Outstanding and 53 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Brent perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Brent, 69% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Brent?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Brent is 17.2:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in Brent schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Brent is 17.0%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in Brent?+
There are 48,073 pupils enrolled across schools in Brent, with 25,411 in primary and 22,372 in secondary. 26.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Brent?+
There are 14 independent schools in Brent. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in Brent on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
How do I choose the right school in Brent?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 206 schools in Brent by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.