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.
Richmond upon Thames at a glance
Ahead of England on results at 11
How Richmond upon Thames's schools compare with England, area by area.
Schools and nurseries18445 primary · 11 secondary · 101 nurseries
Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
Met the standard at 1178%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths66%Attainment 8 56.9, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary13%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school12%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Richmond upon Thames
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 Richmond upon Thames
Richmond upon Thames is a London borough with 45 mainstream primary schools and 11 mainstream secondary schools. Secondary places are in high demand: 62.2% got their first choice, against 83.6% across England. Independent schools are common too, with 24 in the area.
Good to know in Richmond upon Thames
Richmond school admissions are run by Achieving for Children with the council, and the information is on the AfC Info website. Source
The Local Offer for Richmond covers education, health and social care for children and young people with SEND from birth to 25. Source
Achieving for Children runs an Independent Travel Training service, which is its primary form of SEND travel assistance in Kingston and Richmond. Source
From Richmond upon Thames council's website, checked 7 November 2026. Check the council's pages before you apply.
Key dates each year
31 October
Secondary school applications close
15 January
Primary school applications close
1 March
Secondary school offers
16 April
Primary school offers
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day.
88.8%got their first-choice primary school in Richmond upon Thames in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 127 of 151 councils. 98.1% got one of their top three.2.8% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
62.2%got their first-choice secondary school in Richmond upon Thames in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 148 of 151 councils. 84.5% got one of their top three.14.2% 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 6 primary appeals heard in Richmond upon Thames succeeded in 2025. 4 of 37 secondary appeals heard in Richmond upon Thames succeeded in 2025.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Numbers that sum up Richmond upon Thames
Richmond upon ThamesEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 34 primaries with one.
100%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
6 of the 6 with a grade.
100%
England 93%
Above England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
78%
England 62%
Above England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
66%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
12%
England 18%
Better than England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
13%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 49 schools that have one.
100%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding21
Good28
Requires improvement0
Inadequate0
How it has changed
Richmond upon Thames in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1178% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths66% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school12% 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
Richmond upon Thames
England
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)
100%
95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)
78%
62%
Attainment 8
56.9
46.2
Persistent absence
12%
18%
Pupils per teacher
18.6:1
17.9:1
Spending per pupil
£8,284
£8,120
In education or work after 16
94%
91%
Went on to higher education
68%
56%
Pupils with special educational needs
17%
21%
Pupils with English as an additional language
30%
22%
Pupils on free school meals
15%
27%
DfE local authority code 318, ONS code E09000027.
Living here
What it's like for families
Richmond upon Thames has 184 schools and nurseries.
There are 6% more pupils than in 2018, but numbers have fallen since 2025.
13% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Richmond upon Thames's state schools each January.
27.1k2018
27.8k2019
28.6k2021
28.6k2022
29.0k2023
29.0k2024
29.0k2025
28.7k2026
Up 6% 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.
Richmond upon Thames13%
Keep up with schools in Richmond upon Thames
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Richmond upon Thames has 184 schools, including 69 primary schools, 27 secondary schools, 101 nurseries, 24 independent schools, 4 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 Richmond upon Thames?+
The highest-ranked schools in Richmond upon Thames on Eduscope are St Richard Reynolds Catholic Primary School, Barnes Primary School, Deer Park 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 Richmond upon Thames are rated Good or Outstanding?+
100% of inspected schools in Richmond upon Thames hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 21 schools rated Outstanding and 28 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Richmond upon Thames perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Richmond upon Thames, 78% 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 Richmond upon Thames?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Richmond upon Thames is 18.6:1. 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 Richmond upon Thames schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Richmond upon Thames is 12.4%. 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 Richmond upon Thames?+
There are 28,652 pupils enrolled across schools in Richmond upon Thames, with 15,592 in primary and 12,977 in secondary. 15.0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Richmond upon Thames?+
There are 24 independent schools in Richmond upon Thames. 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 Richmond upon Thames on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
How do I choose the right school in Richmond upon Thames?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 184 schools in Richmond upon Thames 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.
