Rutlish School

At a glance

Type

Voluntary controlled school (state-funded)

Phase

Secondary

Ages

11 to 19

Gender

Boys

Pupils

1,471 census January 2026

Capacity

1,500

Admissions policy

Non-selective

Sixth form

Yes

Headteacher

Ms Laura Howarth

Address

Watery Lane, Merton Park, London, SW20 9AD

Borough

Merton

Telephone

02085421212

DfE reference (URN)

102679

Website

rutlish.merton.sch.uk

Source: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools · daily extract as at 2026-10-07 · last checked 9 October 2026

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Key dates for 2027 entry

Year 7 (11+)

1. Application deadlineSaturday 31 October 2026Closes in 21 days

   National closing date for Year 7 applications: Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply through your home borough's coordinated scheme (eAdmissions), not directly to the school.

   Source: Your borough's admissions page · checked 9 Oct 2026

2. National offer dayMonday 1 March 2027Upcoming

   Secondary National Offer Day: Monday 1 March 2027. Offers are released by your home borough.

   Source: Your borough's admissions page · checked 9 Oct 2026

3. Accept your offerMonday 15 March 2027Open

   Deadline to accept your secondary offer: Monday 15 March 2027 (your home borough's date).

   Source: Your borough's admissions page · checked 9 Oct 2026

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A status ("Closes in 12 days") is shown only for a closing date we have checked, worked out from today's date, 10 October 2026. Other dates are printed as the school published them, with its own wording beside them. Dates given only as "early January" are shown as approximate and never counted down. Always confirm with the school or council.

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Open days and tours

1. Sixth-form open evening · 16+ · 17:00Wednesday 4 November 2026, 17:00 to 19:30

   16+ Book or read more

2. Sixth-form open evening · 16+ · 17:00Thursday 12 November 2026, 17:00 to 19:30

   16+ Book or read more

Dates as published on the school's own page, read 10 Oct 2026. Schools add and change dates at short notice and most ask you to book: confirm with the school. All open days in London

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Admissions

You apply through the council where you live, not to the school, naming up to six schools in order on one form. Every applicant on time hears on the same national offer day.

195 first-preference applications and 757 applications naming it at any preference for 260 places offered (September 2026 entry, DfE)

These are counts of applications and offers on national offer day. They are not a chance of getting in: places are allocated by the school's published admissions criteria, such as siblings, distance or faith.

Source: Department for Education, Secondary and primary school applications and offers · entry years up to 2026/27 · last checked 9 October 2026

Merton: Year 7 offers, September 2026 entry

Across the borough, 67.4% of applicants were offered their first preference and 95.4% were offered one of their preferences (1,982 applications). These are borough-wide figures, not a forecast for any school or child.

Source: Department for Education, Secondary and primary schools applications and offers 2026 · entry years 2014/15 to 2026/27 (release published 2026-06-18) · last checked 9 October 2026

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Inspection

Source: Ofsted, Management information - state-funded schools - latest inspections as at 31 August 2026 · latest inspections as at 2026-08-31 · last checked 9 October 2026

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Results

GCSE (key stage 4), 2024/25

• Attainment 8 score2022/23: 58.8 · 2023/24: 55.2
  60.5This school52.3Merton46.1England, state-funded
• % achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs2022/23: 64% · 2023/24: 62%
  67%This school56%Merton45%England, state-funded
• % achieving grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs2022/23: 84% · 2023/24: 81%
  84%This school74%Merton65%England, state-funded
• % entering the English Baccalaureate2022/23: 45% · 2023/24: 58%
  49%This school58%Merton40%England, state-funded
• EBacc average point score2022/23: 5.29 · 2023/24: 5.12
  5.54This school4.84Merton4.09England, state-funded

Source: Department for Education, Compare school and college performance · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026 · academic year 2024/25 · 233 pupils in the cohort

A level (16 to 18), 2024/25

• A level average result, expressed as a grade2022/23: B- · 2023/24: B-
  B-This schoolB-MertonB-England, state-funded
• A level average point score per entry2022/23: 35.3 · 2023/24: 35.1
  36.7This school35.9Merton35England, state-funded
• Average point score for a student's best 3 A levels2022/23: 37 · 2023/24: 36.2
  38.4This school36.6Merton35.8England, state-funded
• % of A level students achieving AAB or higher including at least 2 facilitating subjects2022/23: 15% · 2023/24: 20%
  30%This school19%Merton18%England, state-funded
• A level value added score2023/24: 0.11
  -0.06This school-0.03England, state-funded

Source: Department for Education, Compare school and college performance · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026 · academic year 2024/25 · 139 pupils in the cohort

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Pupils and context

Eligible for free school meals

24.3% January 2026

English as an additional language

50.1%

Receiving SEN support

16.4%

With an Education, Health and Care Plan

4.8%

Source: Department for Education, Compare school and college performance · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026 · school census 2024/25

Attendance and staffing

Overall absence

6% 2024/25

Persistently absent (missed 10% or more)

16.5%

Pupils per teacher

16.4 2025/26

Source: Department for Education, Absence rates by school level · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026

Places

Places

1,587

Pupils on roll

1,482

Source: Department for Education, Capacity - school / Sixth form capacity - school · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026 · position at 1 May, 2024/25

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Nearby schools

Schools covering the same ages within about a mile, by straight-line distance (not walking or travel time).

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Compare with similar schools

Side-by-side comparisons with the nearest schools of the same type. Sourced facts only; no winner is declared.

• Rutlish School and Wimbledon College1 mile apart
• Rutlish School and Harris Academy Wimbledon1 mile apart
• Rutlish School and Raynes Park High School1.4 miles apart
• Rutlish School and Harris Academy Morden1.7 miles apart

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