London primary school where trainers are banned voted one of best in UK

A London primary school where designer trainers are banned has been rated one of the best in the UK – with youngsters two years ahead in maths.

The strict rules imposed at Hampden Gurney CofE Primary School has led to it being ranked the 9th best state primary school in the UK for 2022.

Headteacher Evelyn Chua said she was surprised to find out her school in Westminster had been ranked so highly by The Times.

She said she and her staff had built a school culture where the pupils arrive “reading for learning” and even badly behaved youngsters sent from other schools soon respond .

She said: “We were very delighted to get the 9th rating.

Read more: Royal Family: When Prince Louis will join Prince George and Princess Charlotte at their posh £18,915 a year London school

“The staff were very diligent and we feel that we have provided a very secure learning environment for the children, despite the closures during the pandemic.”

Mrs Chua has been headteacher for more than 20 years and said it took many years of hard work to make Hampden Gurney one of the UK’s best.

She said: “When I took it on, it was a school where no one would want to come. The pupil numbers were just failing and the education was failing.

“So I hope I’ve made an impact. It’s one of the loveliest jobs you can have.”

The school has a strict uniform policy. All pupils must wear the same black shoes and if anyone turns up wearing branded trainers their parents are called in to bring the correct footwear.

Mrs Chua said: “We don’t allow trainers simply because I don’t want competition in the school.

“Everyone has the same leather shoes without having parents spend a lot of money and comparing.

“We just want to look like they’ve come to school and they are ready for learning.

“They feel a collective belonging that they are part of something that is worth recognising.”

She added: “If their uniform isn’t right, no one gets away with it. Or if someone’s behaviour is not as it should be it is tackled almost immediately.

“We have children who come into school who are very poorly behaved from other schools.

“But once they are in class and they see the rest of the other children with their heads down, getting on with the work and listening to the teachers, they soon conform.”

While the school takes a no-nonsense approach to its dress code and bad behaviour, few pupils are ever excluded.

Mrs Chua said: “Our exclusion rate is pretty much nil for the last 10 years. We try not to exclude children. If they misbehave it’s always positive reinforcement.

“It’s not just about getting the academic results, we also make sure that the children’s well-being is our prime consideration because if they are happy children you will get everything else from them in the best possible way.”

Do you want to stay up to date with the latest news, views, features and opinion from across the city?

MyLondon’s brilliant newsletter The 12 is absolutely jam packed with all the latest to keep you keep you entertained, informed and uplifted.

You’ll get 12 stories straight to your inbox at around 12pm. It’s the perfect lunchtime read.

And what’s more – it’s FREE!

The MyLondon team tells London stories for Londoners. Our journalists cover all the news you need – from City Hall to your local streets, so you’ll never miss a moment.

Don’t skip a beat and sign up to The 12 newsletter here.

Mrs Chua said the school was special because pupils were very keen to learn. Staff worked hard to ensure standards did not slip during the pandemic.

She said: “With virtual learning it is almost twice as difficult to get the children engaged. We made it quite formal. We told them, ‘We don’t want you in pyjamas or in bed’.”

Mrs Chua, who teaches maths, said every year group was working two years ahead of the national cirriculum.

She added: “Last year, 75 per cent of our children gained top places in secondary independent schools, even in the pandemic when we were doing virtual learning.”

Mrs Chua said learning outside the classroom was also important. She said: “Practical experience is a fundamental part of learning.

“The list of places they’ve been is endless. They go to lots of museums and art galleries and places like Greenwich Park, the Imperial War Museum, and Hampton Court.”

Hampden Gurney school pupil Esmail said: “It is a good school because we get work that we like and we do fun activities. We also get to do more challenging work to increase our knowledge.”

And pupil Tobi said: “I love Hampden Gurney because I have a thirst for knowledge and it is excellent at this. It is also a very friendly environment.”

The Time report ranked schools in outcomes on standard assessment tests (SATS) in reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling and maths between 2017 and 2019.