School Chooser

Malmesbury Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil347 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubMordenMerton
School Chooser Score
56
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 36 to 74
Out of 100. Better than 67% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, March 2025
Reached the expected level at 1170%England 63%
Attendance93.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families42%Far more than most schools
Places177 spare347 pupils, 524 places
Pupils per teacher17.9School workforce census

Malmesbury Primary School is a council school in Morden for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 347 pupils and room for 524. About 42 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 56 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Malmesbury Road, Morden, SM4 6HG020 8648 3561malmesbury.merton.sch.ukMr Stephen Donegan headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 18 March 2025, 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”
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

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

Reached the expected level at 1170%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level11%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
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: 57%57%20172018: 64%64%20182019: 66%66%20192023: 54%54%20232024: 70%70%20242025: 70%70%2025
Since 2017: +13%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017MertonEngland
Pupils tested535756535660
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths70%70%54%66%64%57%71%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths11%14%2%6%13%2%11%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0107.0106.0106.0105.0102.0107.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0106.0105.0104.0106.0104.0107.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0108.0104.0106.0106.0105.0108.6105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard87%84%75%77%73%62%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard83%84%77%77%77%80%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)72%72%66%77%73%68%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.2+0.6-0.7+0.3
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.6-0.1+1.2+2.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged55%62%37%59%56%40%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged88%77%73%79%75%69%

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. 1 of the 4 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
55%88%
Gap 33 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
77%63%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
80%70%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
10%11%
Gap 1 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 places347 pupils for 412 places, 2024/25
84% full

65 places were empty (16% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 13% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 700 m away in 2026, 900 m away in 2025, 0.6 miles away in 2022. 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 700 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 Primary3099700 mLA
2025 Primary3089900 mLA
2024 Primary6099all offeredLA
2023 Primary60111all offeredLA
2022 Primary601390.6 milesLA
2021 Primary60110all offeredLA

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 800 m of the school costs

Typical sale price within 800 m of the school£435,750half sold for £388k to £477k
Homes sold180December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-21%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 roll347Census January 2026
Places52466% full
Pupils from low-income families42%42% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English35%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%62 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%8 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.913 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)42%£210,800 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls171 / 176
White British pupils38%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 25.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (32), Moderate learning difficulty (15), emotional and mental health (10), Other difficulty or disability (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll347381424434442428
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals42%40%38%40%40%37%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language35%37%38%38%40%39%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support18%18%21%17%19%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school19.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.9%6.3%7.5%7.8%4.3%4.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.7%3.5%4.7%5.1%2.7%2.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.2%2.8%2.8%2.7%1.7%2.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence19.3%16.8%23.3%23.7%11.8%10.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.51.40.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers19.1full-time equivalent, 22 people
Pupils per teacher17.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants14.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£65,622
Teachers who left in the year19%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.62024/25

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£8,811England £7,738. Total £3.3m
Income per pupil£8,505England £7,697. Total £3.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,601England £3,480
Money in reserve3%Not much put by: £96k, £261 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£113kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£8,811spent 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 m63912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate71 per 1,000 people22% lower than the England average
Typical house price£550,000Merton
Nearest bus stop120 mNetley Road, 25 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
St Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic420 m485Good 202289Compare
Tweeddale Primary SchoolAcademy630 m376Good 202410Compare
Green Wrythe Primary SchoolAcademy690 m268Good 202340Compare
Abbey Primary SchoolAcademy910 m468Good 202382Compare
Abbotsbury Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles352Good 202354Compare
Morden Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles222Good 202448Compare
Muschamp Primary School and Language Opportunity BaseFoundation1.0 miles574Report card 202666Compare
All Saints Benhilton CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England1.1 miles462Not inspected85Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Malmesbury Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats67%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 56 is 16 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 40 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Malmesbury 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
All Saints' CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England2.1 miles312No overall grade 202570Compare
Bonneville Primary SchoolCouncil5.0 miles372Outstanding 202499Compare
Clapham Manor Primary SchoolCouncil5.7 miles377Good 202263Compare
Harris Primary Academy Crystal PalaceAcademy5.9 miles369Not inspected61Compare
Ark Priory Primary AcademyAcademy8.8 miles439No overall grade 202593Compare
Haimo Primary SchoolCouncil10.9 miles351Good 202462Compare
Gallions Primary SchoolAcademy14.1 miles443Outstanding 202383Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 56 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 56% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 36 to 74. 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
+0.04
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 53 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 1.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.04
DfE progress measure; 53 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.08
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.10
2024/25; 321 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 53 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 Malmesbury Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Malmesbury Primary School scores 56 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 36 to 74, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Malmesbury Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Malmesbury Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 18 March 2025.

How good are Malmesbury Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 70% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 11% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Malmesbury Primary School have?

347 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 524 places, so it is 66% full.

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

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 700 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 Malmesbury Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 19% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Malmesbury Primary School?

The average class had 26.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 8% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Malmesbury Primary School 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
Malmesbury Road, Morden, SM4 6HG
Telephone
020 8648 3561
Website
www.malmesbury.merton.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Stephen Donegan
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
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Merton
Ward
Ravensbury
Constituency
Mitcham and Morden
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2002
URN
132169 · LAESTAB 3152092 · UKPRN 10073627
Formerly
Malmesbury First School, Malmesbury Middle School

Where these figures come from