Merton Park Primary School

Inspection of Merton Park Primary School Church Lane, Merton Park, London SW19 3HQ

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding 1 and 2 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and extremely proud members of this welcoming school. Pupils live up to the expectations and virtues of ‘kindness, honesty and courage.’ Their behaviour and conduct are consistently excellent. The school is an exceptional place to learn and make friends. Pupils fully embrace its high expectations and vision for their lives.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years receive an excellent start to their education and continue to flourish throughout the school. The curriculum is ambitious and carefully constructed, providing a highly positive and inspiring learning environment. From Nursery, children establish strong foundations in their learning, including how to communicate, cooperate and care for each other. Pupils achieve highly and have many other opportunities to excel. They develop into mature, confident young people.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the school’s exciting provision of wider opportunities. For example, they play chess, take part in dance competitions, and explore more about science and coding. Older pupils are proud to run an origami club for younger pupils to enjoy. Pupils prize the range of leadership opportunities on offer, such as school councillors, play leaders and house captains. Pupils are confident about the need for them to be role models and the importance of helping younger children in their play.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s curriculum is highly ambitious and structured superbly. Pupils gain the knowledge and develop important skills that put them in excellent stead for the rest of their lives. The curriculum is regularly reviewed and adapted accordingly to ensure that it meets the needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils achieve exceptionally well.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff have excellent subject knowledge and deliver the curriculum expertly. They model new learning consistently well across all classes. Teachers skilfully create interesting activities that immerse pupils in their learning. Pupils quickly become confident learners, and they share their new knowledge eagerly. For example, in Year 6, pupils explain in detail their methods for identifying the etymology of words, while in Year 2, pupils discuss how the climate in Nairobi is different to the United Kingdom. Pupils with SEND are quickly identified. They learn alongside their peers with effective adaptations so that they can access the learning.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Children make a strong start in early years. Clear expectations and routines help them to settle in quickly. Children are engrossed in a ‘word rich’ environment with many stimulating learning activities. Carefully designed activities support children to develop their fine motor skills which, in turn, support children’s writing development. This is an impressive foundation on which their education at the school builds.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has created a strong culture for reading. Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 read with confidence and fluency, due to highly effective teaching of the chosen phonics programme. Those pupils who have fallen behind get the prompt support 1 and 2 April 2025

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they need. They quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers. Pupils develop an innate love of reading. They appreciate the wide range of texts that they are given, which further inspires their curiosity to learn. Pupils are avid, confident, and fluent readers.

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Pupils are highly attentive in class and show significant degrees of perseverance and motivation in their learning. This starts right from the early years, where children learn how to take turns and listen attentively. Pupils are polite, helpful, and friendly. The school fosters a positive culture with clear routines and high expectations for behaviour. Attendance is high. Pupils want to be in school so that they can learn and take part in the fun, exciting activities.

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The school prepares pupils extremely well for life beyond the classroom. The curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education covers key topics in an age-appropriate way. For instance, it helps pupils understand how to stay safe and the importance of staying fit and active. Pupils explain how being physically active supports positive mental health. Pupils engage in the school’s very well-designed programme for personal enrichment, for example visiting places of worship, attending ‘Wimbledon BookFest,’ and participating in a mock trial at the Royal Courts of Justice. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 are proud to perform in the school’s impressive drama and music productions.

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School leaders are reflective and proactive; they make decisions and take action to ensure high-quality learning experiences for all pupils. Those responsible for governance know their school well. They work effectively with the school leaders to ensure that the priorities of the school are the focus of what they do. Staff feel well supported by the school and are proud to work here.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and 1 and 2 April 2025

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pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 1 and 2 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 1 and 2 July 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a nursery provision for three-year-old children.  The school runs a breakfast club and after-school clubs for pupils in the school.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 1 and 2 April 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing body.  Inspectors met with pupils to understand their views about the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, and design technology. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors considered the behaviour of pupils during lesson visits and around the school. They observed pupils as they arrived at school in the morning.

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 Inspectors considered the effectiveness of safeguarding through discussions with leaders, teachers, and support staff. They looked at records relating to safeguarding, including pre-employment checks.  Inspectors spoke to staff about their workload and well-being. They considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, as well as the online staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors considered a wide range of documentation provided by the school. This included curriculum documentation and school policies.

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Inspection team

Sam Johnson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Deborah Walters His Majesty’s Inspector 1 and 2 April 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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