Top 10 Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and Sixth Forms in Hampstead to Buy or Rent Near

Hampstead has the most oversubscribed primary school in Camden, and the streets that reach it are measured in hundreds of metres. This guide sets out the best schools to buy or rent near in NW3, the 2025 cut-off distances, the streets inside them and what those streets cost.

If you are buying in Hampstead with a child under five, the arithmetic is unforgiving. Camden's primary schools do not use catchment areas. Places at community schools go to the children who live closest, measured in a straight line to the centre of the school. In April 2025, Fitzjohn's Primary School received 272 applications for 30 places, the highest number in the borough, and the last child offered lived 0.41 miles away. At Hampstead Parochial the cut-off was 0.195 miles, and at Christ Church Hampstead 0.329 miles, according to Camden Council's Starting School in Camden guide, published in November 2025.

Rochester Place has sold and let homes across north London from our Kentish Town office since 2004, and our co-founder Abdul Mamun was raised in Belsize Park and has worked the NW3 streets for more than two decades. The ten primary schools below are the ones Hampstead buyers ask about most, with the admissions data that actually decides who gets in.

Key points: schools in Hampstead in 2026

• Fitzjohn's is the most oversubscribed primary in Camden. 272 applications for 30 places in 2025, with the last place going to a child 0.41 miles away, per Camden Council.
• There are no catchment areas, with one exception. Camden community schools allocate on straight-line distance after looked-after children, siblings and exceptional need. Only Abacus Belsize, a free school, has a defined catchment.
• Four NW3 schools admitted inside 0.35 miles in 2025: Hampstead Parochial 0.195, St Luke's 0.2, Christ Church Hampstead 0.329 and Emmanuel 0.197.
• The average Camden house price was £833,000 in June 2026 (provisional), with flats averaging £688,000 and terraced houses £1,569,000, per the ONS and HM Land Registry. Hampstead sits well above the borough figure.
• The next application deadline is 15 January 2027 for children born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023, with offers on 16 April 2027.
• Secondary places follow a separate cycle. Year 7 applications for September 2027 close on 31 October 2026. Hampstead School, UCL Academy and the LaSWAP consortium schools are all reachable.

Is Hampstead a good place to buy a home with a family?

Yes, if the budget stretches to it, and Hampstead is the most expensive area in this series. It combines the borough's most sought-after primary schools, the Heath on the doorstep, the Northern line and Overground in zones 2 and 3, and a village high street that has kept its independent shops. The trade-off is price and competition: the June 2026 Camden borough average was £833,000 against £554,000 for London as a whole, and Hampstead streets sit above that borough figure, while the school cut-offs are the shortest in Camden.

For a family deciding where in London to buy, the practical test is this: can you afford a home inside the cut-off distance of a primary school you like, within walking distance of a secondary you would accept, on a street you would still want to live on once the children have left? Hampstead passes that test emphatically on schools and green space, and the constraint is almost entirely budget. The sections below show exactly which streets.

Why do families move to Hampstead for the schools?

Families move here because the schools are exceptional and the Heath is 790 acres of it at the end of the road. Hampstead sits in fare zone 2 on the Northern line, with Hampstead Heath and Finchley Road & Frognal on the Overground and Finchley Road on the Jubilee. Camden Council reports that all 38 of its primary schools have good or outstanding Ofsted outcomes, and its Community Investment Programme has put £165 million into school buildings across the borough.

The trade-off is competition. Fitzjohn's, Hampstead Parochial, New End and Christ Church Hampstead between them received 864 applications for 118 places in 2025. The council's own booklet is blunt: a child can be admitted one year, and the next year a child on the same road can be too far away. That is why the cut-off distances below matter more than any league table.

How does Camden decide who gets a primary school place?

For Camden's 18 community schools, places are offered in this order once children with an education, health and care plan naming the school have been placed: looked-after and previously looked-after children; siblings still on roll; children with an exceptional social or medical need linked to that school; children of staff employed there for two years; then everyone else by distance, measured as the crow flies from the home address to the centre of the school using the council's mapping system.

Voluntary aided church schools, which in NW3 means Hampstead Parochial, Christ Church Hampstead, Holy Trinity NW3, Emmanuel, St Luke's and Rosary, set their own criteria and usually need a supplementary form sent to the school. You can name up to six schools on one application at eadmissions.org.uk, and the council recommends using all six. Camden verifies addresses against council records and credit reference agencies, and will withdraw a place obtained with a false or temporary address even after the child has started.

Top 10 primary schools in Hampstead to buy or rent near: the ranking

How this ranking works: Camden Council reports good or outstanding Ofsted outcomes at every one of its primaries, so the grade does not separate them. What does is demand. Schools are ranked by applications per place in the April 2025 round, with the cut-off distance as the tie-break, because a school that nine local families compete over for every place is the market's own verdict. All figures from the council's Starting School in Camden 2026 guide.

1. Fitzjohn's: 272 applications for 30 places (9.1 per place), cut-off 0.41 miles. The most oversubscribed primary in Camden.
2. Hampstead Parochial CE: 231 for 30 (7.7 per place), 0.195 miles. The shortest reach in NW3.
3. St Luke's CE: 108 for 15 (7.2 per place), 0.2 miles. A small free school with two-form mixed-age classes.
4. Christ Church Hampstead CE: 178 for 28 (6.4 per place), 0.329 miles.
5. New End: 183 for 30 (6.1 per place), 0.674 miles. The most generous reach of the top four.
6. Emmanuel CE: 149 for 30 (5.0 per place), 0.197 miles, on the West Hampstead side.
7. Abacus Belsize: 147 for 30 (4.9 per place). The only Camden primary with a defined catchment area.
8. Holy Trinity NW3: 122 for 27 (4.5 per place), 0.415 miles.
9. Fleet: 95 for 30 (3.2 per place); places remained after offer day.
10. Rosary Catholic: 97 for 45 (2.2 per place), 0.647 miles; faith criteria apply.

Top 10 primary schools in Hampstead: 2025 admissions data

Figures are from the results table on page 40 of Camden's Starting School in Camden 2026 guide, showing the position on offer day in April 2025, with April 2024 in brackets. Distances are straight-line miles. "n/a" means the school still had places after offer day.

Source: Camden Council, Starting School in Camden 2026, published November 2025; offer-day position April 2025 with April 2024 in brackets; straight-line miles; "n/a" means places remained after offer day.

1. Fitzjohn's Primary School, 86a Fitzjohn's Avenue NW3 6NP

Best for: families who can buy on or immediately off Fitzjohn's Avenue.

Fitzjohn's is the hardest primary place to get in the whole borough of Camden. It received 272 applications for 30 places in 2025, more than any other Camden primary, and the last child offered lived 0.41 miles away. Two appeals were heard in 2025 and neither succeeded. In practice the reach covers Fitzjohn's Avenue itself, Arkwright Road, Netherhall Gardens, Maresfield Gardens and the Frognal side. These are among the largest houses in NW3, and the school is part of why they hold their value. If Fitzjohn's is the plan, view houses for sale in Hampstead with a measuring tool open, not just a map.

Streets in reach: Fitzjohn's Avenue, Arkwright Road, Netherhall Gardens, Maresfield Gardens, Frognal and Lyndhurst Gardens.

2. Hampstead Parochial CE Primary School, Holly Bush Vale NW3 6TX

Best for: families in the village itself.

Hampstead Parochial had 231 applications for 30 places in 2025 and admitted to just 0.195 miles, roughly 300 metres, in from 0.399 in 2024. Founded in 1840 and still on its original site off Heath Street, it is the village school in the literal sense. The reach covers Holly Bush Vale, Heath Street, Hampstead High Street, Flask Walk, Back Lane and the New End streets. As a voluntary aided school it offers both faith places, which need a supplementary form, and community places.

Streets in reach: Holly Bush Vale, Heath Street, Hampstead High Street, Flask Walk, Back Lane and Perrins Lane.

3. St Luke's CE School, Kidderpore Avenue NW3 7SU

Best for: families on the Frognal and Platt's Lane side.

St Luke's is a Church of England free school with an approved entry of just 15 in mixed-form classes, which makes its 108 applications in 2025 the steepest ratio in this guide after Fitzjohn's. It admitted to 0.2 miles. Kidderpore Avenue, Platt's Lane, Ferncroft Avenue, Rosecroft Avenue and the Redington Road streets are the addresses in reach. The small intake is the point for some families and the risk for others: one form of entry means a very small cohort.

Streets in reach: Kidderpore Avenue, Platt's Lane, Ferncroft Avenue, Rosecroft Avenue and Redington Road.

4. Christ Church CE Primary School, Christchurch Hill NW3 1JH

Best for: the streets between the village and the Heath.

Christ Church Hampstead is a voluntary aided Church of England school with an approved entry of 28, the smallest standard intake in Camden. It received 178 applications in 2025 and admitted to 0.329 miles, in from 0.455 the year before. Christchurch Hill, Willow Road, Well Walk, Cannon Place and the Downshire Hill side are inside that circle, which is as close to Hampstead Heath as any school in this guide. A supplementary form is needed for faith places.

Streets in reach: Christchurch Hill, Willow Road, Well Walk, Cannon Place, Downshire Hill and Keats Grove.

5. New End Primary School, Streatley Place NW3 1HU

Best for: buyers who want a village school with a slightly wider reach.

New End is a community school with 30 places and a 39-place nursery. It received 183 applications in 2025 and admitted to 0.674 miles, the most generous reach among the four most sought-after NW3 schools, and in from 0.976 in 2024. Streatley Place, New End, New End Square, Elm Row and the Heath Street side are comfortably inside it. For a family who wants the village without the Fitzjohn's or Hampstead Parochial lottery, this is the realistic option. See flats to rent in Hampstead if you are renting while you search.

Streets in reach: Streatley Place, New End, New End Square, Elm Row, Heath Street and Gayton Road.

6. Emmanuel CE Primary School, 152-158 Mill Lane NW6 1TF

Best for: the West Hampstead and Mill Lane side.

Emmanuel is a voluntary aided Church of England school on Mill Lane, west of the Finchley Road. It received 149 applications for 30 places in 2025 and admitted to 0.197 miles, one of the four shortest cut-offs in NW3 and barely changed from 0.217 in 2024. Mill Lane, Fordwych Road, Ravenshaw Street, Aldred Road and the Westbere Road streets are in reach. Prices here sit below the Hampstead village side, which is why buyers priced out of NW3 proper often look at this pocket first.

Streets in reach: Mill Lane, Fordwych Road, Ravenshaw Street, Aldred Road and Westbere Road.

7. Abacus Belsize Primary School, 105 Camley Street N1C 4PF

Best for: families who want a defined catchment rather than a distance race.

Abacus Belsize is the one Camden primary that operates a catchment area rather than pure distance, which makes it the only school in this guide where you can know in advance whether your address qualifies. It is a free school with 30 places and no nursery, and it received 147 applications in 2025. Check the current catchment map on the school's own site before you offer on a house: the catchment covers the Belsize Park side, not the school's registered Camley Street address.

Streets in reach: The Belsize Park catchment as published by the school; check the map for any specific address.

8. Holy Trinity CE Primary School, Trinity Walk, Maresfield Gardens NW3 5SQ

Best for: the Swiss Cottage and Finchley Road side of NW3.

Holy Trinity NW3 is a voluntary aided Church of England school with an approved entry of 27. It received 122 applications in 2025 and admitted to 0.415 miles, almost exactly the same as 0.407 in 2024, which makes it one of the more predictable schools in the area. Maresfield Gardens, Fitzjohn's Avenue at its southern end, College Crescent, Belsize Lane and the Swiss Cottage streets are in reach.

Streets in reach: Maresfield Gardens, College Crescent, Belsize Lane, Lyndhurst Road and the southern end of Fitzjohn's Avenue.

9. Fleet Primary School, Fleet Road NW3 2QT

Best for: the Fleet Road and Agincourt Road pocket by the Royal Free.

Fleet is a one-form-entry community school with 30 places. It received 95 applications in 2025 but still had places after offer day, having admitted to 1.042 miles the year before. That makes it the most accessible strong option in NW3 by some distance, sitting between Gospel Oak and Hampstead Heath station on Fleet Road, Agincourt Road, Cressy Road and Lawn Road. It pays to check your affordability before falling for a street here.

Streets in reach: Fleet Road, Agincourt Road, Cressy Road, Lawn Road and Constantine Road.

10. Rosary Catholic Primary School, 238 Haverstock Hill NW3 2AE

Best for: Catholic families on the Belsize Park side.

Rosary is a voluntary aided Catholic school with 45 places, the largest Catholic primary intake in the borough. It received 97 applications in 2025 and admitted to 0.647 miles, out sharply from 0.107 in 2024, which shows how much a faith school's open-criterion reach can move year to year. Haverstock Hill, Belsize Park Gardens, Parkhill Road, Lawn Road and the Steele's Road streets are in reach. Faith criteria take priority and a supplementary form goes to the school.

Streets in reach: Haverstock Hill, Belsize Park Gardens, Parkhill Road, Lawn Road and Steele's Road.

Top 10 secondary schools in Hampstead to buy or rent near

Buying with a child under five means thinking about Year 7 too, because the same house usually has to work for both. Camden runs ten state secondaries and co-ordinates Year 7 admissions; applications for September 2027 close on 31 October 2026, with offers on national offer day in March 2027, per Camden Council. Islington uses the same eadmissions.org.uk system and date. Most community secondaries allocate on distance after priority groups, but several are single-sex, the Catholic and Church schools use faith criteria, and Camden School for Girls admits by ability banding. Sixth forms admit on GCSE grades, not address, so proximity matters for Years 7 to 11 rather than 12 and 13.

How this ranking works: Camden published school-level 2025 GCSE results for two secondaries in its August 2025 results release, and its Achievement and Standards Report records which schools had a graded inspection in 2024/25. Schools are ranked on that published evidence and on how hard they are to get into. Where the council has not published a school-level figure, the entry says so and points to the DfE tables rather than guessing. Camden's borough-wide provisional Attainment 8 for 2025 was 46.8, above the national 45.9 and below London's 50.4, per the Camden Learning Achievement and Standards Report 2024-25. Islington schools without comparable published figures are listed on location, at the end.

Sources: Camden Council Secondary Schools in Camden 2026; Camden Council GCSE results release, 22 August 2025; Camden Learning Achievement and Standards Report 2024-25; Camden School for Girls offer distances page; Islington secondary admissions booklet.

1. Camden School for Girls, Sandall Road NW5 2DB

Best for: the strongest academic option in the area for girls, and a mixed sixth form that draws from across north London.

The most selective secondary in Camden by admission method: a Year 6 banding assessment, then distance within each ability band. For 2026 entry the furthest offers were 0.38 miles in Band A, 0.76 in Band B, 0.61 in Band C and 0.47 in Band D, per the school's own offer distances page. Voluntary aided, 120 Year 7 places including 18 for visual arts. First here because it is the hardest place to win and has the largest mixed sixth form in the borough.

Streets in reach: Sandall Road, Camden Park Road, Bartholomew Road, Caversham Road, Leighton Road and Camden Square.

2. Parliament Hill School, Highgate Road NW5 1RL

Best for: girls in the Gospel Oak, Dartmouth Park and Highgate Road streets.

Girls' community school, 180 Year 7 places, beside Parliament Hill Fields. Second on published results: 41% of GCSE entries at grades 9 to 7 in 2025 and 28% at 8 to 9, per the headteacher quoted in Camden Council's August 2025 results release. Allocates on distance after priority groups; the cut-off is in the allocation table of Camden's secondary admissions guide. Sixth form via LaSWAP.

Streets in reach: Highgate Road, Gordon House Road, Dartmouth Park Road, Chetwynd Road, Mansfield Road and Oak Village.

3. Acland Burghley School, Burghley Road NW5 1UJ

Best for: families who want a mixed school a few minutes from Tufnell Park station.

Mixed community school, 182 Year 7 places, in a Grade II listed building. Third on published results: 33.5% of all GCSE grades at 9 to 7 in 2025, its best-ever at that level, per the same council release; 30% in 2024. LaSWAP sixth form.

Streets in reach: Burghley Road, Lady Margaret Road, Falkland Road, Ospringe Road, Lupton Street, Brecknock Road and Tufnell Park Road.

4. William Ellis School, Highgate Road NW5 1RN

Best for: boys in the same streets as Parliament Hill.

Boys' voluntary aided school, 112 Year 7 places, next door to Parliament Hill. Graded Good at its 2024/25 inspection under the interim framework, per the Camden Learning Achievement and Standards Report 2024-25. Sets its own criteria. Third LaSWAP partner.

Streets in reach: As Parliament Hill. A family with a boy and a girl in the Gospel Oak grid can send both to the same campus.

5. La Sainte Union Catholic School, Highgate Road NW5 1RP

Best for: Catholic families with daughters.

Catholic girls' school, 120 Year 7 places, graded Good at its 2024/25 inspection per the Achievement and Standards Report. Faith criteria take priority; supplementary form to the school. Fourth LaSWAP partner.

Streets in reach: The Highgate Road and Dartmouth Park streets, though faith criteria mean distance matters less than at the community schools.

6. Haverstock School, Haverstock Hill NW3 2BQ

Best for: the Chalk Farm, Belsize Park and Primrose Hill streets.

Mixed community school, 180 Year 7 places, by Chalk Farm station. The Achievement and Standards Report records it "continues to be Good" after its 2024/25 inspection. No school-level 2025 GCSE percentage published by the council; the DfE tables carry its Attainment 8. Own sixth form.

Streets in reach: Haverstock Hill, Prince of Wales Road, Malden Road, Queen's Crescent, Harmood Street and the Chalk Farm end of Regent's Park Road.

7. Hampstead School, Westbere Road NW2 3RT

Best for: the West Hampstead and Cricklewood end of the borough.

Mixed community school with 210 Year 7 places, the largest intake in Camden. No school-level 2025 figure published by the council; check the DfE tables. Own sixth form. Note: Camden is consulting on reducing its admission number from 210 to 180 from September 2027, part of a borough-wide response to falling pupil numbers, per the council's admissions page.

Streets in reach: Westbere Road, Mill Lane, Fordwych Road and the West Hampstead grid.

8. UCL Academy, Adelaide Road NW3 3AQ

Best for: the Swiss Cottage, Belsize Park and Primrose Hill side.

Mixed academy sponsored by University College London, 192 Year 7 places. Sets its own criteria. No school-level 2025 figure published by the council; check the DfE tables. Own sixth form.

Streets in reach: Adelaide Road, King Henry's Road, Elsworthy Road, Primrose Hill Road and Belsize Park.

9. Regent High School, Charrington Street NW1 1RG

Best for: the Camden Street, Pratt Street and Somers Town grid.

Mixed community school, 180 Year 7 places, in Somers Town. No school-level 2025 figure published; Camden's borough-wide provisional Attainment 8 was 46.8 per the Achievement and Standards Report, above the national 45.9 and below London's 50.4. Own sixth form.

Streets in reach: Camden Street, Pratt Street, Bayham Street, Royal College Street, Plender Street and Somers Town.

10. Maria Fidelis School FCJ, Drummond Crescent NW1 1LY

Best for: Catholic families wanting a mixed school near Euston.

Catholic mixed school, 150 Year 7 places. Faith criteria apply. No school-level 2025 figure published; check the DfE tables. Own sixth form, the smallest in the borough.

Streets in reach: Somers Town and the Euston side; faith criteria mean intake follows parishes rather than a radius.

Top 10 sixth forms near Hampstead, ranked by scale and breadth

Sixth forms admit on GCSE grades, so a buyer cannot buy their way in. What a buyer can weigh is what is within walking distance once the children are sixteen. Ranked by size and curriculum breadth using the year-group figures in Camden's 2019 school census return, the most recent borough-wide breakdown we could verify; providers without a comparable figure are listed on location after the ranked entries.

1. Camden School for Girls Sixth Form, Sandall Road NW5

Best for: students who want the largest and most sought-after mixed sixth form in the borough.

Mixed, and the largest in Camden: 224 in Year 12 and 213 in Year 13 at the council's 2019 school census return, the most recent borough-wide breakdown we could verify. Admits on GCSE grades.

2. LaSWAP Sixth Form Consortium, Highgate Road and Burghley Road NW5

Best for: breadth of subject choice across four schools.

La Sainte Union, Acland Burghley, William Ellis and Parliament Hill pool their sixth forms, with around 42 A-level and BTEC courses and roughly 800 students across the four in the 2019 census. Students move between sites by subject.

3. Hampstead School Sixth Form, Westbere Road NW2

Best for: West Hampstead and Cricklewood students.

185 in Year 12 and 94 in Year 13 at the 2019 census, the second-largest in the borough by Year 12 intake.

4. UCL Academy Sixth Form, Adelaide Road NW3

Best for: the Swiss Cottage side and students drawn by the university link.

129 in Year 12 and 132 in Year 13 at the 2019 census.

5. Haverstock Sixth Form, Haverstock Hill NW3

Best for: Chalk Farm and Belsize Park students who want to stay put.

99 in Year 12 and 76 in Year 13 at the 2019 census.

6. Regent High Sixth Form, Charrington Street NW1

Best for: Somers Town and central Camden Town.

82 in Year 12 and 46 in Year 13 at the 2019 census; a smaller cohort with a tighter subject list.

7. Maria Fidelis Sixth Form, Drummond Crescent NW1

Best for: Catholic students who want a small setting.

41 in Year 12 and 28 in Year 13 at the 2019 census, the smallest in the borough.

8. City and Islington College, Holloway Road and Angel

Best for: students who want a large further education college rather than a school sixth form.

Islington's main post-16 provider, with sixth form centres on Holloway Road and at Angel offering A-levels and vocational courses. Admits on grades. Listed on location.

9. Westminster Kingsway College, Camden Centre, King's Cross

Best for: vocational and A-level routes near King's Cross.

A large further education college with a Camden campus. Admits on grades. Listed on location.

10. St Aloysius' College Sixth Form, Hornsey Lane N6

Best for: Catholic boys' school sixth form on the Highgate border.

Catholic boys' school with its own sixth form. Listed on location.

The point for a buyer: Hampstead's primary schools are the hardest to reach in Camden, but its secondary options are unusually broad, with Hampstead School and UCL Academy on one side and the four LaSWAP schools a bus ride east. A house inside the Fitzjohn's or Hampstead Parochial radius is also within reach of both. See houses for sale in Hampstead for what is live today, and our guide to the best streets in Hampstead for the streets themselves.

How should you read an Ofsted report in 2026?

Ofsted changed its inspection framework on 10 November 2025, and any school inspected since then no longer receives a single-word grade. Instead it gets a report card grading each area of its work on a five-point scale: exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention and urgent improvement, with safeguarding judged separately as met or not met. Between September 2024 and November 2025, inspections gave sub-judgements without an overall grade. Before September 2024, schools received the familiar overall effectiveness grade.

The practical consequence is that a school described as "outstanding" may be carrying a grade from an inspection several years old, while a school with a newer report card may look different on paper without being any weaker. Check the inspection date on reports.ofsted.gov.uk, read the framework on GOV.UK if you want the detail, and use Camden School Reports, which the council publishes for all 38 primaries, for a rounder picture.

What does it cost to live near a good school in Hampstead?

The provisional average house price across the borough of Camden was £833,000 in June 2026, down 7.1% on June 2025, according to the ONS. Terraced houses averaged £1,569,000 and flats and maisonettes £688,000. First-time buyers in Camden paid an average of £729,000. Average private rent in Camden was £2,800 a month in July 2026.

Source: ONS, Housing prices in Camden, last updated 19 August 2026. The ONS advises that borough-level figures rest on small numbers of sales and should be read over a year or more.

Those are borough averages covering everything from Highgate to Holborn, and Hampstead sits well above them. Within NW3 the Fitzjohn's Avenue and Christchurch Hill streets are the top of the market, while the Mill Lane and Fleet Road pockets are considerably more accessible. If you already own here, that school premium is worth understanding before you sell; a free valuation from Rochester Place will tell you what it is currently adding.

Which school suits you? A quick guide by situation

• Buyers: decide the school first, then draw the radius. Read our buying process guide and search houses for sale in Hampstead within it.
• Tenants: a rented address counts for admissions in exactly the same way as an owned one, provided it is your genuine home on the closing date. See flats to rent in Hampstead and our renting process.
• Landlords: family homes inside the Fitzjohn's and Hampstead Parochial radii let quickly and to long-staying tenants. Our lettings service and yield calculator can help you price it.
• Sellers: if you are within a few hundred metres of an oversubscribed school, say so in the listing. Book a valuation and we will show you comparable sales.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best primary school in Hampstead?
By demand, Fitzjohn's, which received 272 applications for 30 places in 2025, the most of any primary in Camden. Hampstead Parochial was close behind with 231 for 30. Camden Council reports good or outstanding Ofsted outcomes across all 38 of its primaries.

Does Hampstead have school catchment areas?
Almost never. Camden community schools allocate by straight-line distance from home to the centre of the school after priority groups. The only Camden primary with a defined catchment is Abacus Belsize, a free school.

How close do I need to live to Hampstead Parochial?
The furthest child offered a place in April 2025 lived 0.195 miles away, roughly 300 metres, and in 2024 it was 0.399 miles. The council stresses this changes every year and is guidance only.

Which Hampstead primary school is easiest to get into?
Fleet had places available after offer day in 2025, and Rosary Catholic admitted to 0.647 miles. Both are considerably more accessible than the village schools.

When do I apply for a reception place in Camden?
Applications for September 2027 open on 1 September 2026 and close on 15 January 2027 at eadmissions.org.uk. Offers are made on 16 April 2027.

Can I use a rented address to apply?
Yes, if it is your genuine home on the closing date. Camden will not accept a temporary address used mainly to get a school place, and it checks addresses against council and credit records.

Which secondary schools are near Hampstead?
Hampstead School on Westbere Road and UCL Academy at Swiss Cottage are the nearest mixed options, with Haverstock at Chalk Farm. Parliament Hill, William Ellis, La Sainte Union and Camden School for Girls are all reachable in NW5.

Do sixth forms use catchment areas?
No. Sixth forms in Camden admit on GCSE grades, not address. Proximity matters for Reception and Year 7, not for Years 12 and 13.

Is Hampstead a good place to live for families?
The most sought-after primary schools in Camden, 790 acres of Heath, zone 2 transport and a village high street make it one of the strongest family areas in London. It is also the most expensive in this series.

Where in London should a family buy or rent? Why Rochester Place recommends Hampstead

If you are asking where in London to buy or rent a home with a family, Hampstead belongs on the shortlist for one reason above all: the concentration of strong primary schools is the highest in Camden, and Hampstead Heath sits behind them. Ten primaries within a mile and a half, four of them admitting inside 0.35 miles; Hampstead School, UCL Academy and the LaSWAP consortium for Year 7; and the Northern, Jubilee and Overground lines. The price is a borough average of £833,000 that Hampstead streets sit well above, and cut-offs short enough that the house matters as much as the postcode.

Rochester Place has sold and let homes here since 2004. Our current sales listings in Hampstead and rental listings in Hampstead are the place to start; register your requirements and we will send you homes inside the radius of the school you want before they reach the portals.

Rochester Place: estate agents in Hampstead for buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants

Rochester Place is an independent firm of estate agents in Hampstead, letting agents in Hampstead and property management in Hampstead, based at 161 Kentish Town Road since 2004. If you have found this page by searching houses for sale Hampstead, flats to rent Hampstead or property for sale Hampstead, our current sales listings and rental listings are filtered by area and updated as instructions come in.

If you are a homeowner typing sell my house Hampstead, sell my flat Hampstead or sell my property Hampstead, the school data on this page is your selling point: a home inside a short cut-off distance is one that families actively search for, and we make sure the listing says so. Book a free valuation and we will show you the comparable sales. Landlords can read about our property management service in Hampstead and fees.

Rochester Place Estate Agents has sold and let homes across Hampstead, Belsize Park, Camden and Kentish Town from 161 Kentish Town Road since 2004. Our co-founder Abdul Mamun was raised in Belsize Park and has worked these streets since the late 1990s. We are Safeagent accredited and members of the Property Redress Scheme, and if you are moving for a school, tell us the school and we will tell you the streets.

Thinking of buying, selling or letting in Hampstead? Book a free, no-obligation valuation, register your requirements, or call the team on 020 7284 4747.

Written by Abdul Mamun, Founder at Rochester Place. Abdul has worked in estate agency since the late 1990s across Hampstead, Belsize Park, Primrose Hill and Camden, and was raised in Belsize Park. Meet the Rochester Place team.

Sources

1. Camden Council, Starting School in Camden 2026: admissions guide, published November 2025. Accessed 13 September 2026.
2. Camden Council, School admissions general information, including the 2027-28 admission arrangements consultation. Accessed 13 September 2026.
3. Office for National Statistics and HM Land Registry, Housing prices in Camden, last updated 19 August 2026.
4. Camden Council, GCSE results release, 22 August 2025.
5. Camden Learning, Achievement and Standards Report 2024-25.
6. Ofsted, Find an inspection report; Department for Education, Education inspection framework.