Ambler Primary School and Children's Centre

Islington · N4 2DR

General information Primary School · 0-11 years Who goes here 515 pupils, 30.5% FSM

Educational attainment Ofsted: Outstanding

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 14.2% on SEN support Behaviour 4.0% absence rate Staff 12.7% turnover Financials £10,068 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Ambler Primary School and Children's Centre

General Information

Address: Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park, London, N4 2DR – View on map
Phone: 02072264708
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Sandeep McNicholl
Age range: 0-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 75 families put it first for 60 places – 13 for every 10 places. 71% of them were offered a place. 23 of the 60 places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 12 · 2024 13 · 2025 14 · 2026 13
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Does not apply
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

515 pupils out of 508 places At or near capacity

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 146
% eligible for free school meals: 30.5%
Pupil mix: 9 in 10 (similar to the Islington average)
English as an additional language: 40% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 12.7% a year (Islington 20.8%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 42% moved to another school, 58% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Islington: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 3 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 2 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 0 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Islington, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 4.0%
Persistently absent pupils: 10.1%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 14.2%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 5.8%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 24 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 19 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 16 pupils
SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need: 13 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Autistic spectrum disorder: 17 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 10 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 2 pupils
Vision impairment: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Outstanding 2023 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 78% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 13% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 9 percentage points above the Islington average (69%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Well above (3-year average 79% against an expected 65%)
3-year average (expected standard): 79%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 93% · Writing 80% · Maths 87% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 92%
Average test scores: reading 111, maths 110
Based on: 60 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolIslington averageEngland→ Broadly steady No clear rise or fall since 2022/23 (changes this small are normal from one year group to the next). In 2024/25 this school was 9 percentage points above the Islington average (69%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 12th of 40 junior and primary schools in the area

#10City of London Primary Academy, Islington80%
#11Duncombe Primary School79%
=12Ambler Primary School and Children's Centre78%
=12Canonbury Primary School78%
#14St Mary Magdalene Academy77%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Winton Primary School92%
=2Gillespie Primary School89%
=2Hugh Myddelton Primary School89%
=2St Joseph's Catholic Primary School89%
=5St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary School88%
=5Thornhill Primary School88%
#7Drayton Park Primary School85%
#8Tufnell Park Primary School84%
#9William Tyndale Primary School83%
#10City of London Primary Academy, Islington80%
#11Duncombe Primary School79%
=12Ambler Primary School and Children's Centre78%
=12Canonbury Primary School78%
#14St Mary Magdalene Academy77%
#15St Mark's CofE Primary School75%
=16Rotherfield Primary School74%
=16Yerbury Primary School74%
#18Newington Green Primary School72%
#19St Joan of Arc RC Primary School71%
#20Grafton Primary School70%
#21Vittoria Primary School68%
#22Hanover Primary School67%
#23Laycock Primary School64%
#24Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School63%
=25Pakeman Primary School62%
=25St John's Highbury Vale CofE Primary School62%
=27Ashmount Primary School61%
=27Hargrave Park School61%
=27Moreland Primary School61%
#30St Luke's CofE Primary School59%
#31St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School58%
#32St Andrew's (Barnsbury) CofE Primary School57%
#33St Mary's CofE Primary School53%
#34The New North Academy47%
#35Whitehall Park School46%
#36Robert Blair School and Children's Centre44%
#37Prior Weston Primary School and Children's Centre43%
#38Christ The King Catholic Primary School39%
#39St John Evangelist Catholic Primary School35%
#40Hungerford School28%

View full Ofsted inspection report

1st of 37 primary schools in Islington for Ofsted rating

#1Ambler Primary School and Children's CentreOutstanding
#2City of London Primary Academy, IslingtonOutstanding
#3Gillespie Primary SchoolOutstanding

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Ambler Primary School and Children's CentreOutstanding
#2City of London Primary Academy, IslingtonOutstanding
#3Gillespie Primary SchoolOutstanding
#4Hugh Myddelton Primary SchoolOutstanding
#5Newington Green Primary SchoolOutstanding
#6St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolOutstanding
#7Winton Primary SchoolOutstanding
#8Yerbury Primary SchoolOutstanding
#9Ashmount Primary SchoolGood
#10Canonbury Primary SchoolGood
#11Drayton Park Primary SchoolGood
#12Duncombe Primary SchoolGood
#13Grafton Primary SchoolGood
#14Hanover Primary SchoolGood
#15Hargrave Park SchoolGood
#16Hungerford SchoolGood
#17Laycock Primary SchoolGood
#18Moreland Primary SchoolGood
#19Prior Weston Primary School and Children's CentreGood
#20Robert Blair School and Children's CentreGood
#21Rotherfield Primary SchoolGood
#22Sacred Heart Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#23St Andrew's (Barnsbury) CofE Primary SchoolGood
#24St Joan of Arc RC Primary SchoolGood
#25St John Evangelist Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#26St John's Highbury Vale CofE Primary SchoolGood
#27St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary SchoolGood
#28St Luke's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#29St Mark's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#30St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#31St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#32The New North AcademyGood
#33Thornhill Primary SchoolGood
#34Tufnell Park Primary SchoolGood
#35Vittoria Primary SchoolGood
#36Whitehall Park SchoolGood
#37Pooles Park Primary SchoolInadequate

Financials

Spending per pupil: £10,068 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

18th of 40 primary schools in Islington for spending per pupil

#16Rotherfield Primary School£10,401
#17Duncombe Primary School£10,221
#18Ambler Primary School and Children's Centre£10,068
#19St John Evangelist Catholic Primary School£9,973
#20St Mary's CofE Primary School£9,925

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Laycock Primary School£16,417
#2Prior Weston Primary School and Children's Centre£16,290
#3Hungerford School£16,290
#4Pooles Park Primary School£15,549
#5The New North Academy£12,759
#6Robert Blair School and Children's Centre£12,055
#7Drayton Park Primary School£11,610
#8Vittoria Primary School£11,123
#9Hanover Primary School£11,047
#10Christ The King Catholic Primary School£10,853
#11Moreland Primary School£10,783
#12Pakeman Primary School£10,756
#13St Luke's CofE Primary School£10,666
#14Hargrave Park School£10,467
#15Whitehall Park School£10,463
#16Rotherfield Primary School£10,401
#17Duncombe Primary School£10,221
#18Ambler Primary School and Children's Centre£10,068
#19St John Evangelist Catholic Primary School£9,973
#20St Mary's CofE Primary School£9,925
#21St Mark's CofE Primary School£9,609
#22Winton Primary School£9,592
#23Hugh Myddelton Primary School£9,402
#24Gillespie Primary School£9,386
#25Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School£9,383
#26Ashmount Primary School£9,342
#27St John's Highbury Vale CofE Primary School£9,274
#28St Andrew's (Barnsbury) CofE Primary School£9,213
#29Tufnell Park Primary School£9,110
#30Thornhill Primary School£8,948
#31Canonbury Primary School£8,897
#32St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School£8,805
#33St Joan of Arc RC Primary School£8,804
#34William Tyndale Primary School£8,692
#35St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary School£8,621
#36Grafton Primary School£8,573
#37City of London Primary Academy, Islington£8,432
#38Newington Green Primary School£8,220
#39Yerbury Primary School£8,009
#40St Joseph's Catholic Primary School£7,505

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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