Cherry Garden School
Cherry Garden School is a community special school in Southwark for pupils aged 2 to 11. It has 112 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Cherry Garden School is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2025. In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Ofsted inspection: January 2025. KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Special School / Community special school |
| Age Range | 2-11 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | 41 Bellenden Road London SE15 5BB |
| Phone | 02072374050 |
| Reference Number | 100881 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 112 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 57.14%
Girls: 42.86% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 60.9% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 28.6% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | 6 | 17 |
| 2 | 8 | 10 | 18 |
| 3 | 10 | 6 | 16 |
| 4 | 8 | 9 | 17 |
| 5 | 9 | 7 | 16 |
| 6 | 12 | 5 | 17 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| African | 41.1% |
| White, British | 14.3% |
| White, Other | 6.3% |
| Mixed, Other | 6.3% |
| Caribbean | 5.4% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 3.6% |
| Unclassified | 3.6% |
| White & Black (African) | 2.7% |
| Indian | 1.8% |
| Asian, Other | 1.8% |
| Chinese | 0.9% |
| Irish | 0.9% |
| Pakistani | 0.9% |
Cherry Garden School continues to demonstrate outstanding performance since its last inspection. The quality of care and education provided is exceptional, with a strong emphasis on meeting the individual physical, emotional, and developmental needs of pupils. The school's effective relationships with families contribute significantly to creating a positive learning environment where pupils thrive. The curriculum is tailored to enhance learning outcomes, showcasing flexibility and adaptability to each pupil's needs, enabling them to achieve their best.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Outstanding |
| Last Report Date | 17 Dec 2024 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 17 Dec 2024 | School inspection |
| 26 Jun 2019 | Short inspection |
| 04 Jun 2015 | Full inspection: |
| 24 May 2010 | Full inspection: |
| 22 May 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 12 Nov 2001 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- High-quality care and education provided for all pupils.
- Strong relationships with pupils and their families.
- Flexibility in adapting the curriculum to meet individual needs.
- Expert teaching that fosters effective communication skills.
- Commitment to promoting independence among pupils.
- Effective outreach work with local schools.
- Consistent high expectations from all staff.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 0% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 0% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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See how Cherry Garden School ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99In 2024–25 pupils at Cherry Garden School attended 82.6% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 57.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 8.7% | 7.4% | 8.3% | 6.1% | 9.2% | 9.0% | 19.3% | 12.9% | 15.2% | 13.9% | 14.5% |
| Unauthorised absence | 1.1% | 0.6% | 1.0% | 0.5% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 0.1% | 1.1% | 2.0% | 1.9% | 2.9% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.5% | 0.0% | 2.2% | 2.0% | 12.5% | 2.7% | 8.0% | 4.8% | 9.3% |
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, 0.0% of pupils at Cherry Garden School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 Cherry Garden School had 5.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 1.5 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 0.0% | 25.2% | 17.6% | 3.6% | 23.1% | 17.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 11.5% | 7.5% | 6.7% | 5.9% | 8.9% | 11.6% | 0.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 83.3% | 86.7% | 71.4% | 76.9% | 85.7% | 83.3% | 90.9% | 76.9% | 64.3% | – | 61.1% | 68.4% | 55.0% | 45.0% | 61.9% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 8.2 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 8.0 | 4.8 | – | 2.8 | 4.8 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 | – |
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 Cherry Garden School had 112 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).
It says it provides for: severe learning difficulty.
Pupils by main type of need
| EHC plan | |
|---|---|
| Severe learning difficulty | 45 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 26 |
| Profound and multiple learning difficulty | 25 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 10 |
| Down's syndrome | 3 |
| Physical disability | 3 |
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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.
In 2025–26 Cherry Garden School received £43,101 and spent £42,907 for each of its 111 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £466,000 (£4,195 per pupil).
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £427,000 | £497,000 | £678,000 | £567,000 | £255,000 | £278,000 | £444,000 | £466,000 |
| per pupil | £7,234 | £7,002 | £8,581 | £6,754 | £2,895 | £3,200 | £4,724 | £4,195 |
| In-year balance | £268,000 | £70,000 | £181,000 | -£111,000 | -£313,000 | £24,000 | £166,000 | £22,000 |
| per pupil | £4,534 | £991 | £2,288 | -£1,316 | -£3,551 | £272 | £1,762 | £195 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).
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0.16 miles |
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Nell Gwynn Nursery School
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The Belham Primary School
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Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park
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John Donne Primary School
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Bellenden Primary School
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St Francis RC Primary School
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St John's and St Clement's Primary School Co Hearing Impaired Unit
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Haymerle School
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Angel Oak Academy
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Grove Primary School
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Rye Oak Primary School
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Lyndhurst Primary School
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0.69 miles |
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Bird In Bush School
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The Grove Nursery School
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0.71 miles |
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Goose Green Primary and Nursery School
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St George's Church of England Primary School
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| Name | Distance |
|
Harris Academy Peckham
112 Peckham Road, London, SE15 5DZ |
0.09 miles |
|
Camberwell College of Arts
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Tuke School
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The St Thomas the Apostle College
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Spa School Camberwell
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Treasure House (London) CIC
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Arco Academy
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Maudsley and Bethlem Hospital School
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Harris Boys' Academy East Dulwich
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Sacred Heart Catholic School
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1.09 miles |
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1.2 miles |
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PhoenixPlace
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1.22 miles |
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Harris Girls' Academy East Dulwich
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1.26 miles |
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Alleyn's School
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1.27 miles |
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Haberdashers' Hatcham College
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1.28 miles |
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Ark All Saints Academy
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1.28 miles |
|
The Charter School North Dulwich
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1.31 miles |
All schools in Southwark · Southwark local authority: places and applications
What is Cherry Garden School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Cherry Garden School is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2025.
When was Cherry Garden School last inspected by Ofsted?
Cherry Garden School was last inspected in January 2025.
How many pupils does Cherry Garden School have?
Cherry Garden School has 112 pupils on roll.
What age range does Cherry Garden School cover?
Cherry Garden School for pupils aged 2 to 11.
What are Cherry Garden School's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is Cherry Garden School?
Cherry Garden School is at 41 Bellenden Road, London, SE15 5BB.
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