Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School

About Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School

Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School is comfortably outperforming the Merton local authority average for primary schools, and by a significant margin. While the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined sits at 68%, Bishop Gilpin achieves 82% — a full 14 percentage points higher. This places the school 7th out of 42 primary schools in Merton, putting it in the top 10% locally. It also ranks in the top 9% nationally. The school is clearly a strong academic performer within its borough, and its results suggest a consistent focus on core skills. With 464 pupils on a capacity of 472, it is nearly full, and the oversubscription figures back that up: for 2025/26 entry, there were 324 applications for just 60 places, with 101 first-preference applications for 54 offers. That is a ratio of over five applicants per place, so securing a spot is competitive.

Academically, the school’s 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results are strong across the board. In reading, 95% of pupils met the expected standard and 52% reached the higher standard, with an average score of 110. In maths, 95% met the expected standard and 66% hit the higher standard, with an average score of 111. Writing saw 84% at expected and 39% at the higher level. The combined expected standard of 82% is well above the national average, and the 30% achieving the higher standard in all three subjects is a solid figure. Ofsted inspected the school in June 2024 and rated it Outstanding across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a clean sweep of top grades, and the school has held an Outstanding rating since at least its previous inspection in 2013, so this is a sustained record of high performance.

The school offers a Church of England character and has a nursery provision for children from age three. Facilities include a sensory room, music rooms, a sports hall, ICT suite, dining hall and a chapel. There is a broad range of clubs — drama, coding, science, choir, gardening and art — and sports on offer include cricket, netball, dance and cross country. For SEND, the school supports pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs. With a low percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals at 6.5%, the school draws from a relatively advantaged catchment. Bishop Gilpin will suit families who value strong academic outcomes, a faith-based setting, and a school that is clearly in high demand locally.

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