Report Reveals Strong Performances in Local Schools
However 'difficult conversations' ahead about falling rolls
Proportion of children achieving 'good level of development' above the national average. Picture: H&F Council
April 23, 2025
A Hammersmith and Fulham Council officer has welcomed ‘good news across the piece’ after provisional academic results for 2023/24 showed the borough’s schools typically performed above the national average. A report detailing the outcomes of assessments demonstrated positive results across different age groups, including for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Georgina Herry, Head of School Effectiveness at the council, said the results are testament to the work of leaders and staff in the midst of a ‘challenging environment nationally’. The report, which went before the Children and Education Policy and Accountability Committee last Tuesday night (22 April), detailed the findings broken down by age groups and compared against the national average.
The percentage of children achieving a ‘good level of development’ at the end of reception, for example, is listed as 70.4 per cent for Hammersmith and Fulham, against 67.7 per cent recorded nationally. This is up 3.5 per cent on the 66.9 per cent in 2022/23. In Key Stage 2 assessments, 74.9 per cent of pupils in the borough achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, notably higher than the national average of 61.3 per cent.
The results at the end of Key Stage 4 and 5, including among pupils with SEND, were also recorded as higher in Hammersmith and Fulham, with the outcomes described in the report as ‘excellent’. Overall attendance was slightly better than average in the borough, at 93.8 per cent against 93.3 per cent, while persistent absence was lower.
At the meeting, Ms Herry told councillors: “[The results are] testament to the work of our leaders, the work of our staff in schools that despite a challenging environment nationally they are working their socks off…to ensure great outcomes for our children and that they thrive in the local area.”
Ms Herry praised the report’s findings, including the SEND performance at Key Stage 4 which she said reflected a ‘really positive news story’. She did however note that the vocational performance of schools in Hammersmith and Fulham was slightly below the national average, recording a Merit against a Merit+.
Marie Thomas, a governor at Norman Croft Community School and Nursery, was similarly full of praise for the work done in the borough, saying she is ‘so proud’ of the education ‘given to each and every child in our schools and in the community’. Towards the end of the meeting a topic affecting councils and schools across London was raised, namely that of falling pupil rolls.
Cllr Alex Sanderson, Deputy Leader with responsibility for Children and Education, said, “We have got various things that we’re looking at to try and make sure that we’ve got more families. We’ve got a new family housing strategy that is launching to try and have more family homes.
“But yeah, it’s a very, very live issue. We’re in a better place than some other local authorities, but in a worse place than others for a whole variety of reasons.”
Ultimately, she added, the challenge boils down to too many school places and not enough children to fill them. She added, “At some point we are going to have to have some difficult conversations about the future of some of those schools.”
It was revealed last week that 73.6 per cent of children in Hammersmith and Fulham starting primary school in September were offered their first choice, the lowest among London boroughs. The percentage getting their second or third were however among the highest in the capital.
A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said at the time, “Hammersmith and Fulham is one of the best places to live in the country for top performing schools. All of our schools in Hammersmith and Fulham are currently rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted.
“The popularity of our schools is reflected in these figures. More than 88 per cent of young people in Hammersmith and Fulham were offered a place at one of their top primary school choices this year. We will continue to work with our schools and parents to help our young people reach their potential.”
Ben Lynch
- Local Democracy Reporter