St Matthew's CofE Primary School

St Matthew's CofE Primary is an inclusive, close-knit school where pupils are happy, safe and proud. Inspectors found strong standards in attendance and behaviour, inclusion, and personal development and wellbeing. Behaviour is excellent, attendance is higher than national, and pupils with additional needs, including those in the specialist resource centre for autism, learn very well. Safeguarding is met. In achievement, curriculum and teaching, early years, and leadership and governance, the school is at the expected standard. Pupils typically learn well and reach national averages by Year 6, and the curriculum is well sequenced. However, historical phonics and multiplication check outcomes were not high enough, and there is some inconsistency in phonics teaching and in spotting misconceptions. Early years interactions are not consistently strong enough to develop children's language and vocabulary. The school is part of the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education multi-academy trust, has a Church of England character, and includes a resourced provision for up to 29 pupils with autism. Many pupils join and leave during the school year, and the proportion of pupils with EHC plans is well above average. A new headteacher took up post in September 2024. Leaders have already taken decisive action on weaknesses, and next steps focus on strengthening teaching consistency and early years interactions.

Strengths

• Excellent pupil behaviour and a calm, purposeful learning environment
• High attendance, with targeted support for families when concerns arise
• Inclusion is central to the school's ethos and pupils with additional needs learn very well
• Strong support for new arrivals, including a home visit for every new family
• Disadvantaged pupils benefit from a carefully planned package of academic and pastoral support
• A thoughtfully planned personal development programme that broadens pupils' experiences
• Pupils understand protected characteristics, equality, healthy relationships and British values
• A wide range of leadership and extra-curricular opportunities, with action to include underrepresented pupils
• Pupils typically learn well and attain in line with national averages by the end of Year 6
• The curriculum is well sequenced and prioritises basic skills
• Teaching is typically effective, with clear explanations and good recap of previous learning
• Early years provides a caring, warm environment where children develop security and independence
• Leaders, governors and trustees share an inclusive vision and have an accurate understanding of the school
• Staff feel valued and supported, with a comprehensive professional learning package
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture

Areas for Improvement

• Historical outcomes in phonics and the multiplication check have not been high enough
• There is some variation in the consistency of phonics teaching
• Misconceptions are occasionally not spotted quickly enough in lessons
• High-quality interactions in early years need to be more consistent to develop children's language and vocabulary
• Leaders should continue to strengthen teaching consistency so pupils achieve consistently well over time

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 St Matthew's CofE Primary School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.8% 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, 1.2% of pupils at St Matthew's CofE Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 St Matthew's CofE Primary School had 15.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.4% 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, 19.3% of pupils at St Matthew's CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 11.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 25 pupils.

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 2024–25 St Matthew's CofE Primary School received £8,040 and spent £7,842 for each of its 384 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £583,000 (£1,519 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of Sdbe Multi-Academy Trust, income was £8,574 and spending £8,660 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Redhill · Surrey local authority: places and applications

St Matthew's CofE Primary School is part of Sdbe Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• St Stephen's CofE Primary School Godstone
• All Saints Carshalton Church of England Primary School Carshalton
• The Minster Junior School Croydon
• The Minster Nursery and Infants Church of England Academy Croydon
• St Leonard's Church of England Primary School London
• St Luke's Church of England Primary School London
• St Michael's Church of England Primary School London
• Christ Church, Streatham Church of England Primary School London
• St George's CofE Primary School London
• St Stephen's CofE Primary School London

What is St Matthew's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Matthew's CofE Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was St Matthew's CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Matthew's CofE Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does St Matthew's CofE Primary School have?

St Matthew's CofE Primary School has 363 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Matthew's CofE Primary School cover?

St Matthew's CofE Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Matthew's CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Matthew's CofE Primary School?

St Matthew's CofE Primary School is at Linkfield Lane, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1JF.