Find the best primary schools in Merton. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Merton has 41 primary schools, all in Merton council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 41, 9 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Merton primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Merton Park Primary School | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| Park Academy | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| Benedict Academy | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School | Church of England | 4.8 / 5 |
| Holy Trinity CofE Primary School | Church of England | 4.7 / 5 |
| Aragon Primary School | Mixed | 4.7 / 5 |
| St Mark's Primary School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Wimbledon Chase Primary School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
There are 41 primary schools in Merton.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 41 primary schools in Merton, 9 have a religious character: 5 Church of England and 4 Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Merton Park Primary School (4.8), Park Academy (4.8), Benedict Academy (4.8), Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School (4.8) and Holy Trinity CofE Primary School (4.7). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 41 schools here, 40 have enough published data for a rating.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
| Mixed |
| 4.5 / 5 |
| Hollymount School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| Poplar Primary School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| Pelham Primary School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| St Matthew's CofE Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| St Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.3 / 5 |
| Dundonald Primary School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.3 / 5 |
| Garfield Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Beecholme Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| St Teresa's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.1 / 5 |
| Harris Primary Academy Merton | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| The Priory CofE School | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| Singlegate Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Hillcross Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Joseph Hood Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Morden Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Malmesbury Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Hatfeild Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Abbotsbury Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Haslemere Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Liberty Primary | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| All Saints' CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Merton Abbey Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| William Morris Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Gorringe Park Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| West Wimbledon Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| The Sherwood School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Cranmer Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Links Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Lonesome Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Bond Primary School | Mixed | 1.6 / 5 |
| St John Fisher RC Primary School | Roman Catholic | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.