Pelham Primary School

About Pelham Primary School

Pelham Primary School in Merton holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across both its most recent inspections, including the most recent graded inspection in 2013 and an ungraded visit in 2022 that confirmed the school remains Good. The most telling academic metric for this 3-11 mixed state primary is its Key Stage 2 performance in reading, writing and maths. In the 2023/24 academic year, 68% of pupils met the expected standard in all three subjects, which is exactly in line with the Merton local authority average of 68%. This places Pelham 22nd out of 42 primary schools in the borough, sitting just inside the top half. While the school does not break into the top tier of Merton primaries, its results are solidly average for the area, and it outperforms the national picture in several individual subjects.

Digging into the detail, Pelham’s strengths lie in reading and maths. 93% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 88% in maths, both well above the national average. At the higher standard, 45% achieved in reading and the same proportion in maths, which is strong. Writing is a relative weakness, with 71% at expected and only 18% at the higher standard. The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available, so it is hard to say how much value the school adds, but the raw scores suggest a solid foundation. Ofsted’s breakdown from the 2013 graded inspection rated leadership and management, overall effectiveness and early years provision as Good, with no outstanding categories. The school has a nursery provision, so children can join at age three, and it serves a mixed cohort with 12% of pupils eligible for free school meals, slightly below the national average.

Pelham is a popular school, and the numbers back that up. For the 2025/26 intake, there were 266 applications for just 58 places, an oversubscription ratio of 4.59, meaning nearly five children applied for every place. Of the 51 first-preference applications, 49 were offered, so being first choice gives a very strong chance. The school has a wide range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, art studios and an ICT suite, plus clubs like drama, chess and choir. Its SEND provisions cover dyslexia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health support, making it a practical choice for families who want a well-equipped, inclusive local primary. For families who want an Outstanding-rated school, Holy Trinity CofE Primary is just 0.7 km away, but Pelham offers a solid, oversubscribed option with good core results.

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