FAQs

Yes. The final decision was made by Islington Council’s Executive on 24 April 2025.

No. The proposal is to close the school on 31 August 2025.

The number of places in schools judged “good” or “outstanding” with vacancies at the start of the calendar year is summarised in the table:

 ** Includes St Jude and St Paul’s Church of England Primary School for which a statutory notice to close was published on 27 February 2025.

(Y6 not included as Y6 pupils will be transferring to secondary schools in September).

Note that this is a snapshot of vacancies and the number will vary over time, depending on new admissions and leavers.

Parents can apply for a new school online. Information and guidance is available in the primary school admissions guide. As part of this process the council will collaborate with local schools to make the process of securing a place for September 2025 as smooth as possible. The transfer of Year 6 pupils to secondary schools is not affected by the decision to close the school. If you have further questions about applying to a new school, you can contact the School Admissions team on 0207 527 5515 or at in-year@islington.gov.uk.

Yes, under education law parents are able to apply to schools anywhere, in or outside the borough where they live.

The council will ensure that children with SEND are placed in schools that can fully meet their specific needs, including appropriate accessibility and additional staffing resources. A dedicated SEND Key Worker has been assigned to oversee their transition and ensure that Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are updated ready for consultation with new schools. Continuity of therapies and services, such as speech therapy, will be maintained before, during, and after the transition, with additional staff and specialists provided as needed. The council will assess eligibility for transport in accordance with its published policy.

Amalgamation with another school, with pupils at the school transferring to another Islington school, has been considered but ruled out: there is no suitable nearby school with sufficient spare capacity to absorb the full cohort of pupils attending Highbury Quadrant Primary School. Conversely, the Highbury Quadrant buildings are in need of considerable capital investment in order to be optimally fit for purpose in response to needs and the school is judged by Ofsted as ‘requires improvement’ – it would therefore not be suitable to amalgamate onto the Highbury Quadrant site.

Other options put forward during the initial consultation were considered by the council’s Executive Committee but none were considered suitable – see section 4 of the Executive report: Proposal on the future of Highbury Quadrant Primary School (pdf).