School Chooser

Benedict Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy177 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubMitchamMerton
School Chooser Score
99
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 96 to 100
Out of 100. Better than 100% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, October 2024
Reached the expected level at 1193%England 63%
Attendance94.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families65%Far more than most schools
Places63 spare177 pupils, 240 places
Pupils per teacher12.6School workforce census

Benedict Academy is a sponsored academy in Mitcham for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 177 pupils and room for 240. About 65 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 99 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 100% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

Church Road, Mitcham, CR4 3BE020 8648 4726benedictacademy.orgMiss Nadia El-Telbani headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 October 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1193%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level17%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score108.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 42%42%20172018: 42%42%20182019: 49%49%20192023: 80%80%20232024: 100%100%20242025: 93%93%2025
Since 2017: +51%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†MertonEngland
Pupils tested302320453838
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths93%100%80%49%42%42%71%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths17%30%15%2%3%0%11%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0111.0107.0103.0101.0101.0107.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score108.0111.0108.0104.0104.0103.0107.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score112.0116.0111.0106.0106.0104.0108.6105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard97%100%85%69%53%66%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard93%100%100%78%71%66%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)93%100%85%69%61%53%
Reading progressReading progress score+5.1+1.2-0.6+1.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+6.5+1.2+2.3+3.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged95%100%50%29%35%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged90%100%47%64%53%

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.

† These results are for Benedict Primary School, the school this one replaced in May 2020. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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. 3 of the 4 gaps are 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
95%90%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
92%94%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
91%93%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
10%17%
Gap 7 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 places171 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
41% full

249 places were empty (59% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 8% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

How places were given out for September 2026.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary3067LA
2025 Primary3040LA
2024 Primary3030LA
2023 Primary3035LA
2022 Primary3056LA
2021 Primary3051LA

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 roll177Census January 2026
Places24074% full
Pupils from low-income families63%65% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English59%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%31 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%13 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.25 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)64%£162,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls87 / 90
White British pupils19%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 22.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (24), Moderate learning difficulty (4), Other difficulty or disability (4), emotional and mental health (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Specific learning difficulty (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll177183169163207225
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals63%65%69%75%71%64%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language59%59%50%53%50%52%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support20%18%20%20%24%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%2%3%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.62024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.1%5.4%6.6%8.7%6.5%6.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.3%3.3%3.8%4.4%3.9%3.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.8%2.2%2.8%4.4%2.6%2.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.2%18.9%22.6%35.9%24.0%21.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.60.00.01.93.6
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

† These attendance figures are for Benedict Primary School, the school this one replaced in May 2020. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers13.4full-time equivalent, 15 people
Pupils per teacher12.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers93%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£56,124
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.22024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£6,182England £7,128. Total £1.1m
Income per pupil£9,244England £7,587. Total £1.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,489England £3,405
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £61k, £348 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£539kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,182spent 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 m61012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate97 per 1,000 people6% higher than the England average
Typical house price£550,000Merton
Nearest bus stop130 mMiles 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
Haslemere Primary SchoolCouncil650 m286No overall grade 202535Compare
St Peter and Paul Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic670 m241Good 202386Compare
Liberty PrimaryCouncil930 m446Good 202331Compare
Cranmer Primary SchoolCouncil980 m430Good 202320Compare
Bond Primary SchoolCouncil990 m232No overall grade 202418Compare
St Mark's Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles225No overall grade 202497Compare
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic0.7 miles408Good 202377Compare
Park AcademyFree school0.8 miles160Outstanding 202398Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Benedict Academy with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats100%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 99 is 57 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 43 · highest 96100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 99 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 99% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 96 to 100. 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%above
+0.21
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 30 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.43
Ofsted grade, 1.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%well above
+0.31
DfE progress measure; 30 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.13
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.04
2024/25; 163 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.32
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 30 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 Benedict Academy a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Benedict Academy scores 99 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 100% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 96 to 100, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Benedict Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Benedict Academy not judged at its last full inspection on 8 October 2024.

How good are Benedict Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 93% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 17% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Benedict Academy have?

177 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 74% full.

Is Benedict Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 249 places were empty in 2024/25 (59% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Benedict Academy?

Pupils were in school 94.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Benedict Academy?

The average class had 24.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Benedict Academy have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Church Road, Mitcham, CR4 3BE
Telephone
020 8648 4726
Website
benedictacademy.org
Headteacher
Miss Nadia El-Telbani
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
STEP Academy Trust (19 schools)
Local authority
Merton
Ward
Cricket Green
Constituency
Mitcham and Morden
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2020 (fresh start)
URN
147970 · LAESTAB 3152054 · UKPRN 10086037
Formerly
Benedict Primary School

Where these figures come from