King's Cross Academy Book a tour
King's Cross Academy pupils

Discover King's Cross Academy

Love Learning
Together.

A values-led nursery and primary school where children are known, nurtured and challenged — in the heart of one of London's most exciting communities.

Growing up at KCA

A childhood full of knowledge, character and possibility.

A child may arrive with us at three and leave at eleven. In those years, we want them to acquire powerful knowledge, discover their strengths, find their voice and develop the confidence and character to thrive at secondary school and beyond.

415pupils
50+languages spoken
3–11years old
6values for life
01

What will I learn?

An ambitious, connected curriculum that builds knowledge and brings learning to life.

02

Who will I become?

A deliberately planned personal development journey, shaped by six values from Nursery to Year 6.

03

How will I achieve?

Strong foundations, high expectations and outcomes that show the impact of learning over time.

Learning at King's Cross Academy

What will your child learn?

An ambitious curriculum with purpose.

Our approach to learning is distinctive, challenging and rigorous. We want every child to develop the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes needed for high-quality learning.

Learning is shaped around Big Questions that give children a meaningful purpose for their learning. These questions invite curiosity, encourage children to think deeply and bring learning across different subjects into conversation. Rather than simply collecting facts, children learn to make connections, consider different perspectives and use what they know to develop increasingly thoughtful answers.

Children explore significant people, events, ideas and issues; ask questions; consider evidence; listen to others and develop informed viewpoints.

CuriosityBig QuestionsKnowledgeConnectionPurpose
Big Questions across KCA
“Why is it so important to know where our food comes from?”Year 1
“How has London's past shaped the city we know today?”Year 3
“How can I prepare for my future?”Year 6

Each project begins with an initial experience designed to spark curiosity and culminates in a learning presentation, giving children an authentic audience and purpose for what they have learned.

Explore our complete curriculum →

More than a postcode

King's Cross is part of the curriculum.

Our location changes what is possible. Children grow up alongside world-leading arts, science, technology and community organisations. Partnerships with Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children, Central Saint Martins, the Francis Crick Institute, Google UK and others broaden horizons, enrich learning and raise aspirations.

See where a KCA childhood can take you.

Across KCA

Experiences that shape a KCA childhood

From local visits to major performances, every phase brings new opportunities to explore, create, perform, lead and belong.

A flavour of the experiences along the way

The experiences below are just a small selection of the many visits, workshops, performances, partnerships and first-hand experiences that enrich and support our curriculum. They are examples rather than an exhaustive list, and our programme continues to evolve as we seek out meaningful opportunities that bring learning to life.

🎨
Whole school · Arts

Central Saint Martins

Arts Week culminates in a gallery exhibition where children share ambitious creative work with families and the wider community. Year 3 and Year 6 learning also builds towards exhibition and presentation opportunities here.

G
Whole school · Technology

Google Reference School

KCA is a Google Reference School, recognising our use of technology to support ambitious teaching, learning and digital confidence.

🤟
Nursery–Year 3 · BSL & inclusion

Frank Barnes School

Sharing our campus with Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children creates a distinctive inclusive community. KCA pupils learn British Sign Language from Nursery to Year 3 and children learn and play alongside one another.

🎭
Nursery & Reception · Theatre

Little Angel Theatre Christmas Production

Children enjoy a special Christmas theatre production as part of their early cultural experiences at KCA.

🐣
Nursery & Reception · Life & growth

Hatching Experience

Children have the opportunity to see a duckling hatch and grow in school, bringing learning about life and change vividly to life.

🎶
Nursery–Year 6 · Cultural experience

West End Production

Children have the opportunity to see a West End musical, experiencing world-class theatre as part of their time at KCA.

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Year 1 · Food & farming

Kentish Town City Farm

Children make connections between food, farming and where the things we eat come from.

Year 1 · Community

St Pancras Church

A local visit helps children explore community, identity and the places that shape their neighbourhood.

🌳
Year 1 · Local environment

Hampstead Heath

Children explore the natural world beyond school, connecting observation and curiosity with care for the environment.

🧭
Year 1 · Local area

Local Area Treasure Hunt

Children explore the neighbourhood around KCA, building confidence, curiosity and a growing sense of place.

🌉
Year 2 · London

Tower Bridge

A visit to one of London's best-known landmarks supports children's study of the city, its people and its history.

🐠
Year 2 · Science

London Aquarium

Children encounter marine life first-hand as science knowledge becomes a memorable real-world experience.

🐐
Year 2 · Environment

Spitalfields City Farm

Children explore living things, habitats and the relationship between communities and the natural world.

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Years 2 & 4 · Science & geography

Kew Gardens

Kew supports learning about plants, environments and rainforests through direct observation and exploration.

🏙
Year 3 · London

Horizon 22

Children explore London from above as they investigate how the city's past has shaped the place they know today.

🗺
Year 3 · Geography

British Library — Voyage into Maps

Children develop mapping skills and explore how journeys help us understand the world and each other.

🏛
Year 3 · History

Gunnersbury Park Museum

A museum visit supports children's understanding of the Stone Age and how people lived in the past.

💧
Year 3 · Geography

London Canal Museum & Water Study

Children investigate their Big Question about how water brings people together through a local canal and water study.

🦆
Year 3 · Geography

London Wetland Centre

Children investigate habitats and climate as they consider how people and living things adapt to different environments.

🌊
Year 3 · Water

Thames Barrier

The Thames Barrier becomes part of children's investigation into water, rivers and how communities respond to their environment.

🏺
Year 3 · History

British Museum

Ancient Egypt is brought to life through artefacts and collections before children share their learning with an authentic audience.

🌴
Year 4 · Rainforests

Barbican Conservatory

Children experience a tropical environment in London while exploring why the world's rainforests matter and why they should be protected.

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Year 4 · Community

Exploring Camden & Immigration

Children explore Camden's development and the stories of people who have built new lives here.

🥭
Year 1 · Food discovery

Kenyan food tasting

Children taste crops grown in Kenya, turning their exploration of food and farming into a sensory experience.

🛠️
Year 1 · Design

Inventing playground equipment

Children invent and junk-model a new piece of playground equipment, combining imagination, problem solving and making.

🥟
Year 2 · Food & culture

Indian food tasting

Food becomes a way to encounter another culture, with tasting feeding into practical food technology and wider learning.

🎩
Year 2 · History

Victorian Day

Children step into the past through Victorian writing, portrait-miniature making and cooking.

🪨
Year 3 · History

Stone Age Day

An immersive day gives children a memorable starting point for exploring life in the Stone Age.

𓂀
Year 3 · History

Ancient Egyptians Day

Children immerse themselves in Ancient Egypt before sharing their learning through exhibition and presentation.

🏺
Year 4 · History

Ancient Greek Day

Ancient Greece is brought to life through an immersive curriculum day linked to children's historical learning.

🛡️
Year 4 · History

Romans Day

Children encounter Roman history through a dedicated experience before presenting what they have discovered.

🌋
Year 5 · Geography

Volcano Day

Children create volcanoes as a memorable launch into their exploration of volcanoes, earthquakes and natural disasters.

🪐
Year 5 · Space

WonderDome

An in-school planetarium experience brings Earth and space learning dramatically to life.

👑
Year 5 · History

Tudor Experience Day

A dedicated Tudor experience gives pupils an immersive route into the people, events and stories of the period.

🎤
Years 3–5 · Communication

LAMDA examinations

Fully funded teaching and examinations develop voice, interpretation and confident public performance through nationally recognised qualifications.

🎼
Years 4–6 · Music

Instrumental tuition

Every pupil receives fully funded instrumental tuition, developing musical knowledge, disciplined practice and confidence to perform.

🏊
Every year group · PE

Swimming

Children progressively build water confidence, technique and essential safety knowledge across their time at KCA.

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Nursery–Year 6 · Careers

Bright Futures Festival

Our whole-school careers festival gives children opportunities to meet professionals, encounter different careers and industries, and discover possibilities for their futures.

🎨
Whole school · Creativity

Arts Week

A week of visual art, music, drama and dance culminates in a public exhibition at Central Saint Martins.

🎄
KS2 · Community performance

Songs Under the Tree

Pupils perform at Coal Drops Yard, sharing music with families, visitors and the wider King's Cross community.

EYFS & KS1 · Performance

Christmas productions

Our youngest children take to the stage, developing speaking, singing, teamwork and confidence.

🇫🇷
Year 6 · Residential

Residential to France

Our oldest pupils travel to France for an immersive residential that develops independence, resilience and cultural understanding — and creates lifelong memories.

🧑‍💼
Year 6 · Careers & responsibility

Bright Futures Academy

Year 6 pupils apply and interview for jobs across the school, taking on meaningful roles and experiencing aspects of working life within the Academy.

🎭
Year 6 · Performance

Year 6 production

Every pupil contributes to a full-scale musical production, bringing together confidence, teamwork and creativity.

📰
Year 6 · History & performance

World War experiences

World War I Day and an immersive evacuation experience help children explore history through purposeful, memorable learning.

🎉
Year 6 · Windrush

Notting Hill Carnival

Children connect their learning about the Windrush generation with London's living cultural history.

Want to see the full picture? Explore our Curriculum to discover the learning, experiences and opportunities planned across Nursery to Year 6.

Who will your child become?

Character is taught, practised and lived.

Our six values are not decoration. They shape our curriculum, relationships and expectations — giving children a shared language for the person they are becoming.

ConnorCourage
RileyRespect
Kiki & KofiKindness
IsaacIntegrity
EliEndurance
AriaAspiration

A journey, not a checklist

Personal development grows with your child.

From Nursery to Year 6, experiences, responsibilities and opportunities are deliberately sequenced. Children learn what the values mean, recognise them in action and increasingly demonstrate them independently in school and beyond.

NurseryBelonging, relationships and first experiences
ReceptionConfidence, curiosity and independence
KS1Finding a voice and contributing
Lower KS2Challenge, responsibility and wider experiences
Upper KS2Leadership, aspiration and readiness for what comes next
Explore the full Personal Development journey →
KCA pupils enjoying school

What will they experience?

An education bigger than the classroom.

Performance, music, BSL, art, sport, play, leadership, visits, residentials and partnerships are not add-ons. They are part of how children learn, develop character and discover what they can do.

Sharing our building with Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children creates a particularly special community, including opportunities for KCA pupils to learn British Sign Language.

More than the school day

Opportunity continues beyond the classroom.

We want every child to discover something they love. Our co-curricular programme gives children opportunities to explore new interests, develop talents, build confidence and have fun — while our wraparound provision helps the school day work for families.

01

Co-curricular clubs

Our programme runs across the week and includes sport, arts and culture, languages, STEM, wellbeing, cooking, coding, chess and much more. The current Autumn programme is for Years 1–6.

02

Wraparound care

High-quality wraparound care is available through The Play Professionals to all children from the moment they start with us — including Nursery and Reception children.

03

Opportunity for everyone

We work deliberately to remove barriers to participation. Pupil Premium families pay just 10% of the cost of one club each term, with KCA funding the remaining 90%.

Starting Reception? Reception children do not take part in co-curricular clubs during the Autumn Term, giving them time to settle into school life. Wraparound care through The Play Professionals is available to Nursery and Reception children from the moment they start with us.

Autumn 2026

A week at KCA

Explore the co-curriculum

Tap the timetable to enlarge.

How do we know it’s working?

Ambition you can see in the outcomes.

At King’s Cross Academy, high expectations and inclusion go hand in hand. Our outcomes are one way we see the impact of that ambition — from the strong foundations children build at the beginning of their school journey to the results they achieve as they prepare for secondary school.

A strong start in Reception

Our Early Years outcomes are above the national average, showing that children leave Reception with strong foundations for the next stage of their learning.

Strong outcomes at the end of Year 6

In 2026, our Key Stage 2 pupils achieved above the national average across all expected-standard measures, with the proportion achieving the combined expected standard 10 percentage points above national.

We also look carefully at outcomes over time, the achievement of different groups and the progress children make from their individual starting points. Our ambition is simple: every child achieving as strongly as possible.

Explore our Performance & Outcomes

Always moving forward

We don't stand still.

We are ambitious about what KCA can become as well as proud of what it is today. Hear from our Headteacher about our current school improvement priorities.

Ready for what comes next

Preparing every child for what comes next.

Our ambition extends beyond Year 6. We want every child to leave KCA academically prepared, personally confident and excited about the next stage of their education. We support families to find the secondary school that best matches their child’s strengths, interests and aspirations.

Where our pupils go next

Our 10 most common secondary destinations

2022–2025 cohorts
39Regent High School
31Camden School for Girls
26Maria Fidelis Catholic School
22Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School
10Acland Burghley School
10William Ellis School
7Beacon High School
7City of London Academy Islington
7Haverstock School
7The UCL Academy
30+secondary destinations across our four most recent cohorts
From their first day at KCA to their first day at secondary school, our aim is the same: to help every child flourish.

Don't just take our word for it

What do others say about us?

Families, pupils and external reviewers all see different parts of school life. Together, their voices help tell the story of King's Cross Academy.

Ofsted · 2023
“This is a welcoming, warm and caring school. Pupils are safe and happy.”

Ofsted recognised that pupils achieve well, leaders are ambitious for all pupils and the school supports pupils’ wider development very well.

IQM · 2026
“There was a togetherness of not only the staff team but the children.”

The assessor highlighted the inclusive culture pupils and staff create together.

Camden Learning · 2026
“Every child leaves the school with a hobby or a passion stemming from an experience they have had at school.”

The review celebrated KCA’s extensive wider opportunities and personal development offer.

Parent voice · 2026
“I think the school is excellent at making kids feel included, safe and that their opinions and voice matter.”

92% of parents said they would recommend KCA to another parent.

Pupil voice
“KCA is the best school in the world, I wish I could stay here for secondary school.”

“My teachers are really helpful and make learning fun.”

“Everyone at the school is really kind and it's fun to come here.”

Pupil voice
“We get to do lots of fun things that I didn't get to do at my previous school.”

“My favourite part about KCA is the teachers because they are all really nice to us and help us with our learning.”

Recognition & accreditation

External recognition of the work behind the experience.

UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools Award Bronze
Rights Respecting SchoolBronze · 2026
Healthy Schools London Silver
Healthy SchoolSilver · 2026
IQM Centre of Excellence
Inclusion Quality MarkCentre of Excellence · 2026
Google for Education Reference School
Google Reference School2025
CLPE Associate School
CLPE Reference SchoolReference School
PiXL
PiXL Partner School2026
Ofsted Good School
OfstedGood · 2023
Pupils at KCA

Every child belongs

Known. Valued. Challenged.

KCA is a highly diverse school community. We follow a Learning without Limits philosophy: ability is not fixed, barriers should be overcome and every child should participate and achieve in school life.

Our motto, Love Learning Together, reflects a simple belief: children flourish when pupils, families, staff and the wider community work in partnership.

King's Cross Academy

Nursery → Year 6 → beyond

Their story
could start here.

The best way to understand King's Cross Academy is to experience it. Come and meet our children, see learning in action and discover our community for yourself.

Book a tour

A few things you might be wondering

Everything you need to know before joining KCA.

How do I apply for a place at King’s Cross Academy?

We welcome applications to our Nursery, Reception and all year groups from Year 1 to Year 6. The application process differs depending on the year group you are applying for, and our Admissions pages will guide you through each route. If you are considering KCA, we would always encourage you to visit us first and experience the Academy for yourself.

Explore admissions
Can I visit the school before applying?

Absolutely. We run regular school tours for families considering Nursery, Reception and in-year places. You’ll have the opportunity to see learning in action, explore our building and learning spaces, meet members of our team and ask questions about life at KCA. Children are very welcome to come along too.

Book a school tour
What are the school day times?

Our gates open at 8:45am, giving children time to arrive and settle before all children start school at 9:00am. Our Early Years children finish at 3:10pm, while other year groups finish between 3:20pm and 3:30pm. Nursery has its own session arrangements, with full details available on our website.

Do you offer breakfast and after-school care?

Yes. High-quality wraparound care is provided through The Play Professionals and is available to all children from the moment they start with us — including Nursery and Reception children. This provides families with flexible care beyond the school day in a familiar, welcoming environment where children can play, socialise and enjoy a range of activities.

What clubs and activities can my child take part in?

There is always something happening at KCA. Our co-curricular programme includes opportunities across sport, performance, creativity, languages, STEM, wellbeing and much more. The programme changes throughout the year so children can discover new interests and develop their talents. Reception children begin co-curricular clubs after the Autumn Term, once they have had time to settle into school life.

For families eligible for Pupil Premium, KCA funds 90% of the cost of one club each term, helping ensure opportunity is genuinely accessible.

Explore the co-curriculum
How do you support children with SEND?

Inclusion is central to who we are. We want every child to participate fully in the academic, social and wider life of KCA, and we adapt teaching, environments and provision to respond to individual needs.

We work closely with children and families to understand individual strengths and needs, ensuring appropriate support is in place while maintaining high expectations for every learner. Our commitment to inclusion has been recognised through the Inclusion Quality Mark Centre of Excellence Award.

Explore SEND & inclusion
What does my child need to wear to school?

Our uniform helps children feel part of the KCA community and is designed to be smart, practical and suitable for an active school day. Full information about our uniform, PE kit, footwear and where items can be purchased is available on our website.

View our uniform
What food is available at school?

We want children to develop healthy habits alongside a healthy relationship with food. Pupils can enjoy nutritious school meals each day, with vegetarian options available, and we work with families where children have specific dietary requirements or allergies.

Our wider commitment to children’s health and wellbeing has been recognised through our Healthy Schools London Silver Award.

Find out about food at KCA
How will I know how my child is getting on?

Families are important partners in children’s learning. We keep parents informed about their child’s progress through regular communication, parent meetings and reporting, while sharing what children are learning and experiencing throughout the year.

Just as importantly, we want communication to work both ways. We encourage families to talk to us, ask questions and be active partners in their child’s education.

What makes King’s Cross Academy different?

We think it is the combination: an ambitious curriculum shaped by big questions; extraordinary experiences made possible by our King’s Cross location and partnerships; a carefully planned Personal Development Curriculum rooted in our six values; a genuinely inclusive community where children are known and valued; and high expectations for what every child can achieve.

Our motto captures it simply: Love Learning Together.