School Chooser

The Priory CofE School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedChurch of England171 pupilsNurseryLondonMerton
School Chooser Score
70
Above
similar schools
Likely range 39 to 88, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 87% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, January 2023
Reached the expected level at 1170%England 63%
Attendance95.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families28%About the same as most schools in England
Places69 spare171 pupils, 240 places
Pupils per teacher15.8School workforce census

The Priory CofE School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in London for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 171 pupils and room for 240. About 28 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 70 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 87% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Queens Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 8LX020 8540 8059thepriory.merton.sch.ukMrs Izzy Rickards headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 10 January 2023, 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
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
20 October 2021UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

23 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 level4%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 48%48%20172018: 63%63%20182019: 67%67%20192023: 53%53%20232024: 73%73%20242025: 70%70%2025
Since 2017: +22%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017MertonEngland
Pupils tested233015467342
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths70%73%53%67%63%48%71%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths4%7%7%11%10%7%11%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0109.0102.0107.0107.0102.0107.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0105.0102.0107.0105.0103.0107.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0104.0102.0109.0107.0107.0108.6105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard83%90%73%78%82%62%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard78%80%60%85%77%71%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)78%80%80%76%74%76%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.9+3.6+2.3-1.6
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.9+2.4+0.9-0.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%71%56%55%39%38%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged85%75%50%71%71%52%

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
50%85%
Gap 35 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
89%57%
Gap 32 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
63%70%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
10%4%
Gap 6 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. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places157 pupils for 416 places, 2024/25
38% full

259 places were empty (62% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 19% 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 Primary30136LA
2025 Primary30131LA
2024 Primary30165LA
2023 Primary30168LA
2022 Primary30149LA
2021 Primary45213LA

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 roll171Census January 2026
Places24071% full
Pupils from low-income families28%28% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English32%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%23 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%8 pupils with a plan
Average class size20.25 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)35%£77,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls79 / 92
White British pupils23%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 17.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 24.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (14), emotional and mental health (9), Other difficulty or disability (3), Moderate learning difficulty (2), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (2), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll171179205207217280
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals28%30%26%29%28%30%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language32%34%34%37%35%37%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%19%20%16%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%3%4%4%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.3%4.1%5.4%5.0%3.6%3.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.7%2.9%3.7%3.4%2.1%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%1.1%1.8%1.7%1.5%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.7%11.2%15.9%13.0%10.1%7.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.50.50.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers10.6full-time equivalent, 12 people
Pupils per teacher15.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£62,487
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.52024/25

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£11,145England £7,738. Total £1.9m
Income per pupil£9,929England £7,697. Total £1.7m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,752England £3,480
Money in reserve-2%In the red: -£39k, -£222 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£212kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£11,145spent 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 m40612 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate124 per 1,000 people37% higher than the England average
Typical house price£550,000Merton
Nearest bus stop30 mCraven Gardens, 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 Trinity CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England300 m426Outstanding 202495Compare
Garfield Primary SchoolCouncil650 m306Not inspected60Compare
St Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic940 m427Good 202189Compare
Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England970 m467Outstanding 202499Compare
Pelham Primary SchoolCouncil980 m392Report card 202688Compare
All Saints' CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England0.6 miles312No overall grade 202570Compare
Smallwood Primary School and Language UnitCouncil0.7 miles253Good 202216Compare
TCES National Online SchoolOnline provider0.8 miles343Not inspectedCompare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares The Priory CofE School with the 45 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 45 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats87%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 70 is 40 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 30 · highest 91100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 45 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than The Priory CofE 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 Barnabas and St Philip's CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England5.0 miles220Good 202484Compare
All Souls CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England7.0 miles180No overall grade 202579Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 70 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 70% 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 88. 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
+0.00
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 23 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.7 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.03
DfE progress measure; 23 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.15
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.04
2024/25; 154 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.06
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 23 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 The Priory CofE School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. The Priory CofE School scores 70 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 87% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 39 to 88, 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 The Priory CofE School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated The Priory CofE School good at its last full inspection on 10 January 2023.

How good are The Priory CofE 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%. 4% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does The Priory CofE School have?

171 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 71% full.

Is The Priory CofE School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 259 places were empty in 2024/25 (62% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at The Priory CofE School?

Pupils were in school 95.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at The Priory CofE School?

The average class had 20.2 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
Queens Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 8LX
Telephone
020 8540 8059
Website
www.thepriory.merton.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Izzy Rickards
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Southwark
Local authority
Merton
Ward
Wimbledon Town & Dundonald
Constituency
Wimbledon
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
102672 · LAESTAB 3153506 · UKPRN 10073961

Where these figures come from