Henry Cavendish Primary School

About Henry Cavendish Primary School

Henry Cavendish Primary School in Lambeth received its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024, and the judgement was Outstanding across every single category — overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, early years provision, and leadership and management. That is a clean sweep of the highest possible grades. The school has held an Outstanding rating since at least its previous inspection in 2014, so this is a sustained track record rather than a one-off. On the academic front, the most telling metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined: 76 per cent. That is ten percentage points above the Lambeth local authority average of 66 per cent, placing Henry Cavendish 15th out of 54 primary schools in the borough and inside the top 25 per cent nationally. For a school of 832 pupils — well above the typical primary size — maintaining that level of consistency is a strong signal.

Digging into the individual subjects, the picture is similarly strong. In maths, 92 per cent of pupils met the expected standard and 41 per cent reached the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 108. Reading saw 88 per cent at expected and 41 per cent at higher, also averaging 108. Writing was slightly lower but still solid, with 81 per cent at expected and 33 per cent at higher. These figures suggest the school is particularly effective at pushing a good proportion of pupils into the higher attainment bracket, especially in maths and reading. The school does not publish Progress 8 scores — that measure is used for secondary schools — but the raw attainment data, combined with the Outstanding Ofsted, paints a clear picture of a school that delivers well above the local norm. The headteacher is Matthew Apsley, and the school is non-religious, serving the full primary age range from three to eleven, with nursery provision on site.

Henry Cavendish is heavily oversubscribed: for 60 places in the 2025/26 academic year, there were 309 applications in total, with 94 listing it as first preference. That works out at just over five applicants per place, so getting in is competitive. The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, music rooms, a sensory room and even a chapel. Sports provision covers tennis, swimming, cricket, athletics, cross country and football, while clubs include drama, chess, science club and coding. SEND support is extensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families who value strong academic outcomes within a large, well-resourced setting and who are prepared for a competitive admissions process. The nearest other Outstanding-rated primary is Telferscot Primary School, half a kilometre away.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Henry Cavendish Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents