South Kensington Area Guide

South Kensington is one of the world’s most culturally rich neighbourhoods, with the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum all based here.

There is music at the Royal Albert Hall, concerts at the Royal College of Music, and two national cultural institutes — the Institut Français and Goethe-Institut.

Exhibitions and lectures are a feature of the Royal Geographical Society, and there is all the excitement of an auction at Christie’s South Kensington & Bank Heist Experience, for the inner adventurers inside us.

Over the year’s The Serpentine Pavilion, designed by Danish architects Bjarke Ingels Group, opens its grounds, together with four Summer Houses designed by young architects for the Summer season.

Schools

Primary schools
Private schools outnumber state schools in South Kensington. However, all but one of the state schools get an “outstanding” Ofsted rating.

The outstanding state primary schools are: Our Lady of Victories RC in Clareville Street; Bousfield in South Bolton Gardens; Oratory RC in Bury Walk and Servite RC in Fulham Road.

Marlborough Primary School in Draycott Avenue is judged “good”, and is being rebuilt as a two-form entry school in a scheme that includes the redevelopment of two former John Lewis warehouses, known as The Clearings, also in Draycott Avenue close to Peter Jones department store.

Comprehensive
The “outstanding” state comprehensive schools are: The London Oratory RC (boys, ages 11 to 18, with girls in the sixth form) in Seagrave Road, where former PM Tony Blair sent his sons; and St Thomas More RC Language College (co-ed, ages 11 to 16) in Cadogan Street.

The presence of the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle (co-ed, ages three to 18) in Cromwell Road is the reason South Kensington is known as “Little Paris”, with many French families choosing to live close to their government’s school.

Private
The private primary schools are: Glendower (girls, ages four to 11) in Queen’s Gate; Falkner House (girls, ages two to 11) in Brechin Place; Hyde Park School (co-ed, ages two to 11) in Elvaston Place; Eaton House, The Vale (co-ed ages two to eight) also in Elvaston Place; Thomas’s Kensington (co-ed, ages five to 11) in Cottesmore Gardens; Redcliffe School (boys, ages three to eight, girls, ages three to 11) in Redclifffe Gardens, and St Nicholas (co-ed, ages three to 11) in Princes Gate.

The private preparatory schools are: St Philip’s School (boys ages seven to 13) a Catholic school in Wetherby Place; Knightsbridge School (co-ed, ages two to 13) in Pont Street; Sussex House (boys, eight to 13) in Cadogan Square and Hill House (co-ed ages three to 13) in Hans Place. The private all-through school is Queen’s Gate (girls, ages four to 18) in Queen’s Gate.

South Kensington’s private tutorial colleges include Mander Portman Woodward in Queen’s Gate; Westminster Tutors in Old Brompton Road, and Duff Miller in Queen’s Gate.