Merrydale Junior School

Merrydale Junior School has been assessed as good overall in its first inspection since it opened in 2016. The school caters to a diverse student body, with many pupils speaking English as an additional language. Pupils display positive attitudes towards learning, are engaged, and work hard. The curriculum is generally well-structured, particularly in subjects like reading, mathematics, and science, helping students to make good progress. However, there are areas identified for improvement, particularly in ensuring the curriculum is effectively planned across all subjects and that all pupils, especially strong readers, receive adequate challenges.

Strengths

• Pupils have good attitudes to learning and develop language skills well.
• Teachers use structured learning to build on pupils' previous knowledge.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements and a harmonious school environment.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum planning is inconsistent in some subjects.
• Not all teachers provide sufficient challenge for strong readers.

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 Merrydale Junior School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.6% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Merrydale Junior 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 Merrydale Junior School had 24.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2023–24, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 17.1%).

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, 14.7% of pupils at Merrydale Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% 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 2024–25 Merrydale Junior School received £6,941 and spent £7,023 for each of its 359 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £319,000 (£888 per pupil).

Across all 20 schools of Discovery Schools Academies Trust Ltd, income was £9,576 and spending £9,975 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 Leicester · Leicester local authority: places and applications

Merrydale Junior School is part of Discovery Schools Academies Trust Ltd, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• Ash Field Academy Leicester
• Keyham Lodge School Leicester
• Mowmacre Hill Primary School Leicester
• Millgate School Leicester
• Braunstone Community Primary School Leicester
• Woolden Hill Primary School Leicester
• Fossebrook Primary School Leicester
• Parkland Primary School South Wigston Wigston
• Sileby Redlands Community Primary School Loughborough
• Enderby Danemill Primary School Leicester

What is Merrydale Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Merrydale Junior School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Merrydale Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Merrydale Junior School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Merrydale Junior School have?

Merrydale Junior School has 354 pupils on roll.

What age range does Merrydale Junior School cover?

Merrydale Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Merrydale Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Merrydale Junior School?

Merrydale Junior School is at Claydon Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 0PL.