Cardwell Primary School

Cardwell Primary School is performing exceptionally well across all inspected areas. Inspectors found a school with high aspirations for pupils, exemplary behaviour, an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum, and strong teaching that helps pupils build deep knowledge over time. Pupils achieve highly, feel safe, take responsibility, and benefit from a broad personal development offer that includes careers exploration, community contribution and a wide range of clubs. The school also has effective support for pupils with SEND and strong attendance work. The inspection was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and took place after Cardwell became part of the Ambition Federation in October 2023. Leaders, governors and staff have created a positive and respectful culture of learning, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Reading is a priority, with a systematic phonics approach and effective processes to identify and address gaps. Although a lower proportion of pupils met the expected standard in the 2024 phonics screening check than the school expected, leaders took intelligent action to mitigate this and help pupils catch up. Overall, the report identifies no significant weaknesses. The school's strengths span quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Pupils leave well prepared for secondary education, and the school provides strong support for families and the wider community.

Strengths

• High aspirations and high standards for academic and personal achievement.
• Pupils achieve highly and leave well prepared for secondary education.
• Pupils' behaviour is exemplary in classrooms and around the school.
• Pupils feel safe and take responsibility for their actions.
• Ambitious, relevant and diverse curriculum with logically sequenced knowledge and vocabulary.
• Strong teacher subject knowledge supported by regular training, including from the wider federation.
• Teachers check understanding precisely and correct misconceptions before moving on.
• Regular practice and revisiting help pupils recall prior knowledge securely.
• Systematic phonics and early reading approach with effective identification of gaps.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND, who access the same or an appropriate curriculum.
• Strong personal development offer, including careers exploration, safety workshops and clubs.
• Pupils take on responsibilities and contribute positively to their community.
• Effective attendance work, with support put in place when rates fall.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements.
• Positive and respectful learning culture across leaders, governors, staff and pupils.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Cardwell Primary School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.6% of pupils at Cardwell Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Cardwell Primary School had 18.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 6.1% of pupils at Cardwell Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Cardwell Primary School received £9,075 and spent £9,335 for each of its 406 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £60,000 (-£147 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Greenwich · Greenwich local authority: places and applications

What is Cardwell Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cardwell Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Cardwell Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cardwell Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Cardwell Primary School have?

Cardwell Primary School has 423 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cardwell Primary School cover?

Cardwell Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Cardwell Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Cardwell Primary School?

Cardwell Primary School is at 118 Frances Street, Woolwich, London, SE18 5LP.