School Chooser

Alderbrook Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil216 pupilsNurseryLondonWandsworth
School Chooser Score
63
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 39 to 81
Out of 100. Better than 83% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, January 2024
Reached the expected level at 1174%England 63%
Attendance93.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families39%Far more than most schools
Places204 spare216 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher17.8School workforce census

Alderbrook Primary School is a council school in London for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 216 pupils and room for 420. About 39 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 63 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 83% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Oldridge Road, Balham, London, SW12 8PP020 8673 4913alderbrookprimaryschool.co.ukMrs Carly Foulkes headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 31 January 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

27 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1174%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level22%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 73%73%20172018: 72%72%20182019: 55%55%20192023: 62%62%20232024: 72%72%20242025: 74%74%2025
Since 2017: +1%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017WandsworthEngland
Pupils tested271837493926
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths74%72%62%55%72%73%70%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths22%6%14%14%23%4%14%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0106.0106.0104.0107.0105.0107.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0107.0105.0104.0105.0105.0106.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0107.0106.0106.0109.0110.0107.4105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard85%89%68%69%77%81%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard81%89%65%65%77%77%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)81%72%73%82%95%85%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.8-2.2+1.7+0.3
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.6-2.4+1.2+0.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged58%55%22%57%71%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged87%65%74%89%75%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
58%87%
Gap 29 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
79%69%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
86%74%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
8%22%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places191 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
46% full

229 places were empty (55% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 20% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place.

EntryHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primaryall offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll216Census January 2026
Places42051% full
Pupils from low-income families39%39% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English45%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support19%42 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%13 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.38 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)38%£113,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls118 / 98
White British pupils19%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 22.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (32), emotional and mental health (13), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (5), Moderate learning difficulty (3), Hearing impairment (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll216231227258277320
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals39%34%34%31%25%20%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language45%36%36%32%35%37%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support19%20%24%18%19%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans8%6%5%4%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school21.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.5%5.8%6.0%5.3%2.7%4.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.5%4.1%4.5%3.8%1.8%2.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.9%1.8%1.5%1.5%0.9%1.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence21.5%17.1%17.3%12.3%5.1%11.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.30.91.62.21.3
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers11.8full-time equivalent, 12 people
Pupils per teacher17.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£62,953
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.72024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£9,876England £7,738. Total £2.2m
Income per pupil£10,088England £7,697. Total £2.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,622England £3,480
Money in reserve18%A healthy amount put by: £407k, £1,816 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£47kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£9,876spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1,15812 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate200 per 1,000 people120% higher than the England average
Typical house price£650,000Wandsworth
Nearest bus stop150 mAlderbrook Road, 13 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Holy Ghost Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic520 m197Good 202496Compare
Henry Cavendish Primary SchoolCouncil650 m873Outstanding 202497Compare
Trinity St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England780 m103Good 202483Compare
Ravenstone Primary SchoolAcademy830 m283Good 202366Compare
Bonneville Primary SchoolCouncil870 m372Outstanding 202499Compare
St Bede's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic0.7 miles143Good 20233Compare
Telferscot Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles436No overall grade 202590Compare
Rutherford House SchoolFree school0.7 miles376Good 202290Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Alderbrook Primary School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats83%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 63 is 33 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 30 · highest 86100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Alderbrook Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Paul's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England6.5 miles174Report card 202670Compare
Mowlem Primary SchoolCouncil7.2 miles222Outstanding 202486Compare
Rosary Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic7.2 miles279Good 202283Compare
Knollmead Primary SchoolAcademy7.2 miles248No overall grade 202577Compare
St Francis' Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy9.6 miles256Good 202479Compare
Hawksmoor SchoolAcademy12.0 miles307Good 202385Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 63 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 63% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 39 to 81. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
+0.05
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 27 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.03
DfE progress measure; 27 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.05
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.10
2024/25; 186 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.12
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 27 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Alderbrook Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Alderbrook Primary School scores 63 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 83% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 39 to 81, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Alderbrook Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Alderbrook Primary School good at its last full inspection on 31 January 2024.

How good are Alderbrook Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 74% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 22% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Alderbrook Primary School have?

216 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 51% full.

Is Alderbrook Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 229 places were empty in 2024/25 (55% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Alderbrook Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 22% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Alderbrook Primary School?

The average class had 22.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Oldridge Road, Balham, London, SW12 8PP
Telephone
020 8673 4913
Website
www.alderbrookprimaryschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Carly Foulkes
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Wandsworth
Ward
Balham
Constituency
Battersea
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
100995 · LAESTAB 2122004 · UKPRN 10071331

Where these figures come from