Meersbrook Bank Primary School

Meersbrook Bank Primary is a calm, welcoming and inclusive school where pupils behave well and attend regularly. Inspectors found particularly strong practice in attendance and behaviour, early years, and inclusion, and safeguarding standards are met. Pupils are well supported, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, and relationships with families are positive. Achievement, curriculum and teaching, leadership and governance, and personal development are judged to be at the expected standard. Pupils generally achieve in line with national averages and phonics outcomes are consistently above average, although Year 4 multiplication attainment is variable and disadvantaged pupils' combined reading, writing and mathematics outcomes are below national averages in the latest data. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, but in some wider-curriculum areas teaching does not consistently ensure pupils remember important knowledge, and sequencing is not fully embedded. Leaders know the school's strengths and priorities, staff are proud to work there, and parents are positive. However, governance oversight and challenge sometimes lack rigour, and systems for evaluating some aspects of the school's work are not fully effective. Pupils' knowledge of fundamental British values, protected characteristics and world faiths is less secure, so they are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be. Next steps focus on sharper evaluation, stronger curriculum sequencing, and developing pupils' wider understanding.

Strengths

• Calm and welcoming atmosphere that encourages regular attendance
• Attendance rates above national averages and low persistent absence
• Pupils behave consistently well and bullying is very rare
• Strong early years provision with warm relationships and tailored support
• Inclusion is a strength, with effective support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
• Broad and ambitious curriculum with clear teacher expectations
• Phonics taught consistently well, with Year 1 outcomes above national average
• Staff are proud to work at the school and leaders consider their wellbeing and workload
• High parental engagement and positive relationships with families
• Broad personal development and enrichment offer, including clubs, visits and leadership roles
• Effective pastoral care for pupils' emotional and social needs

Areas for Improvement

• Governance oversight and challenge sometimes lack rigour
• Pupils' knowledge of fundamental British values, protected characteristics and world faiths is less secure
• Curriculum sequencing is not consistently embedded in some wider-curriculum areas
• Teaching in the wider curriculum does not always ensure pupils remember important knowledge for future learning
• Year 4 multiplication check attainment is variable
• Disadvantaged pupils' combined reading, writing and mathematics outcomes are below national averages in the latest data
• Systems for evaluating aspects of the school's work, such as policy review, are not fully effective

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 Meersbrook Bank Primary School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.0% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Meersbrook Bank 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 Meersbrook Bank Primary School had 23.2 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, 11.8% of pupils at Meersbrook Bank Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% 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 Meersbrook Bank Primary School received £6,296 and spent £6,546 for each of its 221 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £109,000 (-£495 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

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What is Meersbrook Bank Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Meersbrook Bank Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Meersbrook Bank Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Meersbrook Bank Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Meersbrook Bank Primary School have?

Meersbrook Bank Primary School has 229 pupils on roll.

What age range does Meersbrook Bank Primary School cover?

Meersbrook Bank Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Meersbrook Bank Primary School?

Meersbrook Bank Primary School is at Derbyshire Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S8 9EH.