Christ Church New Malden CofE Primary School Review 2026: High-achieving Church school with two-site life and a serious music streak

Two sites about 600 metres apart shape everyday life here, infants at Lime Grove and juniors at Elm Road, which creates a school that feels slightly bigger and more varied than a single-site primary. The current head teacher, Neil Meehan, joined in September 2022, and the latest inspection confirmed the school continues to be Good, with safeguarding judged effective.

Academic outcomes sit above England averages, and the overall story is of a school that expects pupils to work hard while staying grounded in a Church of England ethos. Families who value music will notice how often it comes up in official commentary, including ambitious choral expectations for older pupils.

The school’s Christian ethos is not treated as a bolt-on. It shows up in day-to-day language around community, responsibility and how pupils treat each other, including clear expectations about courtesy and respect. The school’s own vision statement, becoming the people God made us to be, is used across admissions and policy documents, so it functions as a consistent through-line rather than a slogan that only appears on posters.

A practical detail that matters is the split site model. Younger pupils and older pupils are based separately, and that can work well for children who benefit from a clear step up in routines and independence as they move into the juniors. It also has implications for families managing pick-ups, clubs and wraparound care, especially if siblings are at different stages.

What makes this school unusually distinctive for a mainstream primary is the way enrichment is described in official sources. The most recent inspection highlights the presence of resident pet pigs, Dotty and Truffles, used as part of learning about care and also as support for social and emotional needs. That is not a generic “pet day” detail, it is presented as part of the fabric of school life.

The school performs strongly on the primary measures used for England-wide comparison. In the latest available results set used for this review, 82.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%.

At the higher standard, 38.33% reached the higher threshold in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%. That is a meaningful indicator of depth, not just pass rates.

The scaled scores reinforce that picture. Reading is 107, mathematics is 108, and grammar, punctuation and spelling is 108.

Rankings should always be read as a signpost rather than a guarantee, but they help with context. Ranked 2,445th in England and 4th locally in New Malden for primary outcomes (a proprietary FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits above England average, comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

A key strength is curriculum intent that is planned to build knowledge over time. Leaders are described as breaking aims into smaller learning steps, and staff training is used to help teachers adapt work so pupils with special educational needs and disabilities can access the same learning goals.

Reading is treated as a priority area. The inspection notes phonics starts from the beginning of Reception, and that most staff teach early reading effectively. The same report also flags a clear improvement point: some staff need to model new sounds and reading strategies more precisely so pupils build confidence and fluency more consistently. For parents, this is a helpful nuance, the system is in place and broadly working, but leaders are still tightening consistency.

Music stands out as a genuine pillar. Official commentary points to ambitious expectations in singing, including four-part harmony for older pupils, and the school runs multiple music groups and instrumental routes. In practice, that tends to suit children who enjoy performing and can commit to regular rehearsal routines.

For a primary school, transition is handled as a planned process rather than a last-minute rush. The school encourages families to start thinking about secondary options at least a year ahead, partly because some schools have entrance examinations or additional requirements that need early awareness.

Year 6 pupils are prepared for Year 7 through structured conversations and opportunities to ask questions about what is coming next. Where possible, staff from local secondary schools visit to support that process. This generally benefits pupils who feel anxious about change, because the move is framed as normal and manageable, with adults modelling what to do when uncertainty shows up.

The school also signposts families to the local authority’s guidance for Kingston secondary admissions, which is sensible because cross-borough patterns in this area can be complex. Applications for Year 7 places typically close at the end of October, so families who like to attend open events before deciding should plan that calendar early.

Reception entry is coordinated through the local authority route, with the school admitting 60 pupils each September into Reception. The school’s own admissions page states the application window typically runs from late September through to 15 January for the following September start.

As a Church of England school, faith-based priority is part of the admissions framework. Families seeking priority on church criteria are directed to complete a supplementary form, signed by a priest, minister or pastor, and returned to the school. This does not mean families without church attendance cannot apply, but it does mean that families should read the published criteria carefully and be realistic about how places tend to be allocated in oversubscribed years.

Demand data indicates a competitive picture at entry, with around four applications per place in the most recent cycle captured for this review. That aligns with the school’s oversubscribed status. The most practical step is to treat the process as high-stakes and keep a strong list of alternative preferences, rather than relying on a single outcome.

Nursery entry

Nursery is a meaningful part of the school’s offer, and the school explicitly links nursery attendance to an easier start into Reception because children already know staff, routines and the wider school rhythm. Nursery places are applied for directly, and for September 2026 entry the deadline stated by the school is Friday 6 March 2026.

The nursery offer includes the option to use 15 or 30 funded hours for eligible families. The school also publishes paid extended-hours options for nursery and Reception-aged children; however, families should check the school’s latest information for current pricing and availability.

Admissions tours follow a familiar seasonal pattern. The school has run tours beginning in October in prior cycles, and nursery tours are listed across the October to February period. Places for tours typically need booking, so families who decide late can find the best slots have gone.

Pastoral culture is described in practical terms: pupils understand what bullying is, and the expectation is that concerns are raised quickly and acted on promptly. The school teaches personal boundaries and privacy through personal, social and health education, and pupils are expected to know which trusted adults to go to if something worries them.

Safeguarding practice is a stated strength, with regular training so staff recognise risks and know how to escalate concerns. Pupils are also taught about local safety issues, including how to use the level crossing safely and why personal information should not be shared online.

For families, the key implication is that wellbeing and safety are treated as taught knowledge, not just adult-only procedures. Children are expected to learn the reasoning behind safe choices, which supports independence as they move through the juniors.

Clubs are not presented as tokenistic. The school publishes termly club timetables and runs activities across both sites, including before-school, lunchtime and after-school options. The spring programme includes, among others, Coding Club for Years 3 to 6, Junior Choir, Junior Orchestra, handbells groups, Good News Club, and sport options that include girls’ football and dodgeball.

Music provision is broader than just “choir exists”. The inspection notes that choir is the most popular club, with around a quarter of the school belonging to either the infant or junior choir. That scale matters because it usually correlates with performance opportunities, a shared repertoire, and a culture where singing is normal rather than niche.

Enrichment also includes trips and visitors linked to curriculum learning. The school frames this as connecting classroom learning to the wider world, which tends to benefit pupils who learn best through concrete experience, especially in humanities and science topics where real contexts make vocabulary stick.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

Wraparound care is a clear feature. The school’s Connect provision runs from 7:30am to 6:15pm. Nursery sessions and primary start and finish times differ by phase and site, with infants finishing at 3:05pm and juniors at 3:20pm. The school also states its weekly compulsory opening time totals 33 hours 45 minutes.

The split site setup is worth factoring into logistics if your child is likely to attend clubs, instrumental lessons, or wraparound care across different stages of the school.

• Competition for places. Reception entry is popular, and admissions information indicates a high level of demand. Families should plan a realistic preference list and understand how faith-based criteria can affect priority ordering in oversubscribed years.

• Two-site logistics. Infants and juniors are on different sites, which can be an advantage developmentally, but it can complicate pick-ups and clubs if you have children across phases.

• Phonics consistency still being tightened. The core approach to early reading is in place, but the inspection flags that a small number of staff need to model new sounds and reading strategies with more precision. If your child is an early reader who needs highly consistent routines, it is worth asking how this training and monitoring is being handled now.

This is a high-performing, values-led Church of England primary with a distinctive personality, including unusual enrichment details and a notably serious music culture. Best suited to families who want strong academic outcomes alongside clear expectations for behaviour and community, and who are comfortable engaging with a faith-shaped admissions structure. The main challenge is admission rather than what happens after, particularly for Reception entry.

Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool local hub and Comparison Tool to view primary outcomes side by side. For families weighing oversubscription risk, FindMySchool Map Search can help check practical distance and travel implications before you commit to a moving plan.