School Chooser

Henry Cavendish Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil873 pupilsNurseryLondonLambeth
School Chooser Score
97
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 94 to 99
Out of 100. Better than 78% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedOutstandingLast Ofsted inspection, May 2024
Reached the expected level at 1177%England 63%
Attendance94.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families13%Far fewer than most schools
Places54 spare873 pupils, 927 places
Pupils per teacher22.1School workforce census

Henry Cavendish Primary School is a council school in London for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 873 pupils and room for 927. About 13 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 97 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 78% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2024.

Hydethorpe Road, London, SW12 0JA020 8673 3376henrycavendish.co.ukMr Matthew Apsley headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 16 May 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Outstanding overall.

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

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

Reached the expected level at 1177%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level25%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score109.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 87%87%20172018: 77%77%20182019: 78%78%20192023: 74%74%20232024: 76%76%20242025: 77%77%2025
Since 2017: -10%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LambethEngland
Pupils tested10491102116112107
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths77%76%74%78%77%87%70%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths25%26%20%9%16%12%11%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0108.0109.0109.0108.0109.0107.4105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score109.0108.0108.0110.0108.0110.0106.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score110.0110.0110.0112.0110.0111.0107.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard85%88%82%81%82%91%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard88%92%90%93%94%96%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)79%81%76%85%84%90%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.1+3.5+2.4+5.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.8+3.9+3.7+5.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged70%59%54%63%63%89%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged80%81%81%84%81%86%

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. 2 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
70%80%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
72%81%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
78%77%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
3%25%
Gap 22 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.

A few spare places775 pupils for 840 places, 2024/25
92% full

About 65 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 6% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 410 m away in 2026, 640 m away in 2025. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

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. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 410 m from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary60330410 mLA
2025 Primary60310640 mLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What a home within 520 m of the school costs

Typical sale price within 520 m of the school£730,000half sold for £550k to £973k
Homes sold365December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district+34%a typical home in the district sells for £545,625

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

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 roll873Census January 2026
Places92794% full
Pupils from low-income families13%13% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English42%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%100 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%33 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.231 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils3%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)13%£162,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls456 / 417
White British pupils34%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.6 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (54), Other difficulty or disability (22), language and communications needs (19), Moderate learning difficulty (13), emotional and mental health (11), Autistic spectrum disorder (9).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll873832819790798844
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals13%15%16%16%16%16%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language42%42%43%46%47%45%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%11%2%3%3%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%3%2%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 school11.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.1%5.0%5.3%5.6%3.9%3.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.4%3.4%3.9%4.4%1.8%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.8%1.6%1.4%1.2%2.2%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence11.8%11.1%12.0%12.9%12.7%7.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.42.60.50.31.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers39.4full-time equivalent, 43 people
Pupils per teacher22.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants20.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£56,758
Teachers who left in the year24%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.82024/25

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£9,029England £7,738. Total £7.5m
Income per pupil£9,037England £7,697. Total £7.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,473England £3,480
Money in reserve-4%In the red: -£281k, -£337 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£6,625it took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£9,029spent 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 m52212 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate67 per 1,000 people26% lower than the England average
Typical house price£545,000Lambeth
Nearest bus stop260 mBelthorn Crescent, 6 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
Telferscot Primary SchoolCouncil470 m436No overall grade 202590Compare
St Bede's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic500 m143Good 20233Compare
Alderbrook Primary SchoolCouncil650 m216Good 202463Compare
Ravenstone Primary SchoolAcademy830 m283Good 202366Compare
Trinity St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England910 m103Good 202483Compare
Bonneville Primary SchoolCouncil960 m372Outstanding 202499Compare
Holy Ghost Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic0.7 miles197Good 202496Compare
Rutherford House SchoolFree school0.7 miles376Good 202290Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Henry Cavendish Primary School with the 50 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 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats78%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 97 is 20 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 14 · middle 77 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 97 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 97% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 94 to 99. 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%well above
+0.31
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 104 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.43
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.19
DfE progress measure; 104 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.03
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.01
2024/25; 676 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.10
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 104 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 Henry Cavendish Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Henry Cavendish Primary School scores 97 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 78% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 94 to 99, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Henry Cavendish Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Henry Cavendish Primary School outstanding at its last full inspection on 16 May 2024.

How good are Henry Cavendish Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 77% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 25% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Henry Cavendish Primary School have?

873 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 927 places, so it is 94% full.

Is Henry Cavendish Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 410 m away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Henry Cavendish Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 12% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Henry Cavendish Primary School?

The average class had 28.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 3% of classes 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
Hydethorpe Road, London, SW12 0JA
Telephone
020 8673 3376
Website
www.henrycavendish.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Matthew Apsley
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Lambeth
Ward
Streatham Hill West & Thornton
Constituency
Clapham and Brixton Hill
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
100567 · LAESTAB 2082295 · UKPRN 10074660

Where these figures come from