School Chooser

Lonesome Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil273 pupilsNurseryMitchamMerton
School Chooser Score
27
Below
similar schools
Likely range 13 to 52, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 45% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
Reached the expected level at 1168%England 63%
Attendance93.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families57%Far more than most schools
Places147 spare273 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher19.3School workforce census
Pupils on roll273Census January 2026

Lonesome Primary School is a council school in Mitcham for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 273 pupils and room for 420. About 57 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 27 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 45% of the 50 schools most like it.

Grove Road, Mitcham, CR4 1SD020 8648 1722bedifferent-federation.org.uk/index.htmlMrs Nathalie Bull headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1168%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 63%63%20172018: 46%46%20182019: 60%60%20192023: 68%68%20232024: 56%56%20242025: 68%68%2025
Since 2017: +5%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017MertonEngland
Pupils tested454537474856
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths68%56%68%60%46%63%71%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%4%11%4%4%7%11%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0102.0109.0104.0104.0106.0107.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0103.0106.0105.0101.0105.0107.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score109.0108.0108.0109.0105.0108.0108.6105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard80%67%84%72%65%71%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard78%67%76%74%54%70%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%84%78%70%69%68%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.9+0.1-0.1+1.6
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.4-0.8-1.4+0.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged70%50%63%44%38%56%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged67%62%77%68%55%68%

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. 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
70%67%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
60%79%
Gap 19 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
69%68%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 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 places285 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
68% full

135 places were empty (32% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 10% 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.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary3066all offeredLA
2025 Primary3068all offeredLA
2024 Primary3096400 mLA
2023 Primary6086all offeredLA
2022 Primary6092all offeredLA
2021 Primary6094all offeredLA

What a home within 400 m of the school costs

Typical sale price within 400 m of the school£450,000half sold for £325k to £500k
Homes sold37December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-18%a typical home in the district sells for £550,000

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 roll273Census January 2026
Places42065% full
Pupils from low-income families55%57% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English39%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support21%58 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%12 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.312 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils8%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)56%£210,800 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls134 / 139
White British pupils19%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 23.6 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (30), language and communications needs (22), emotional and mental health (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Specific learning difficulty (2), Moderate learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll273309345358366387
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals55%50%48%49%43%39%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language39%36%37%37%38%41%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support19%20%22%21%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%4%3%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school23.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils4.22024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.5%7.8%9.2%8.1%5.7%4.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.4%4.1%5.8%4.9%3.7%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.1%3.7%3.5%3.2%2.1%2.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence23.3%27.9%31.7%31.7%19.1%8.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate4.20.97.56.60.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers13.6full-time equivalent, 15 people
Pupils per teacher19.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers93%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants18.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£58,317
Teachers who left in the year32%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher11.12024/25

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£9,450England £7,738. Total £2.8m
Income per pupil£9,570England £7,697. Total £2.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,003England £3,480
Money in reserve2%Very little put by: £59k, £198 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£36kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£9,450spent 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 m51812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate74 per 1,000 people19% lower than the England average
Typical house price£550,000Merton
Nearest bus stop110 mClay Avenue, 17 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
Beecholme Primary SchoolAcademy400 m155Not inspected76Compare
Gorringe Park Primary SchoolCouncil560 m434Good 202352Compare
Granton Primary SchoolCouncil770 m637Outstanding 202496Compare
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic870 m408Good 202377Compare
St Mark's Primary SchoolCouncil900 m225No overall grade 202497Compare
Woodmansterne SchoolCouncil0.6 miles1,637No overall grade 202474Compare
Bond Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles232No overall grade 202418Compare
Links Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles290Report card 202618Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Lonesome Primary School 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.

Beats45%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 27 is 4 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 31 · highest 96100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Lonesome 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 Luke's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.5 miles201Good 202353Compare
Granard Primary SchoolCouncil4.8 miles330Good 202360Compare
Hoxton Garden PrimaryCouncil9.1 miles344Not inspected96Compare
Rotherfield Primary SchoolCouncil9.3 miles331Good 202333Compare
Fleet Primary SchoolCouncil10.0 miles216Good 202277Compare
Gainsborough Primary SchoolAcademy10.5 miles198No overall grade 202578Compare
Benthal Primary SchoolCouncil10.9 miles252Good 202356Compare
St Francis' Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy11.7 miles256Good 202479Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 27 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 27% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 13 to 52. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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
-0.07
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 45 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.07
DfE progress measure; 45 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.10
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.15
2024/25; 283 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.09
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 45 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 Lonesome Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Lonesome Primary School scores 27 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 45% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 13 to 52, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

How good are Lonesome Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 68% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Lonesome Primary School have?

273 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 65% full.

Is Lonesome Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 135 places were empty in 2024/25 (32% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Lonesome Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 23% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Lonesome Primary School?

The average class had 21.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 8% 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
Grove Road, Mitcham, CR4 1SD
Telephone
020 8648 1722
Website
www.bedifferent-federation.org.uk/index.html
Headteacher
Mrs Nathalie Bull
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Merton
Ward
Longthornton
Constituency
Mitcham and Morden
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
102636 · LAESTAB 3152064 · UKPRN 10080012

Where these figures come from