Meole Brace School

Meole Brace School has shown significant improvement since its previous inadequate inspection, now achieving a good overall effectiveness rating. The dedicated leadership team, including headteacher Alan Doust, has worked collaboratively with the TrustEd Schools Alliance to enhance educational standards and foster a positive school culture. Students feel proud to attend and benefit from a curriculum that meets their needs, promoting inclusivity and personal development through various extracurricular activities and leadership roles. While many aspects of the school are commendable, some inconsistencies in teaching practices hinder certain pupils from reaching their full potential.

Strengths

• Strong emphasis on equality, diversity, and inclusivity.
• Well-designed curriculum and improved teaching approaches.
• Positive learning environment with strong teacher support.
• Impressive tracking of pupil progress and needs.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Extensive range of extracurricular activities.
• Successful implementation of pupil feedback through the school parliament.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils receive work that does not build on their previous learning.
• Inconsistencies in ensuring all pupils produce their best work.
• Lack of a full picture regarding the effectiveness of the curriculum in some subjects.

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 Meole Brace School attended 92.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 7.7% of pupils at Meole Brace School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 Meole Brace School had 18.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 15.2% of pupils at Meole Brace School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Meole Brace School received £7,881 and spent £7,546 for each of its 1,340 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £801,000 (£598 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Trusted Schools Alliance, income was £7,816 and spending £7,358 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 Shrewsbury · Shropshire local authority: places and applications

Meole Brace School is part of Trusted Schools Alliance, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Belvidere School Shrewsbury
• Mary Webb School and Science College Shrewsbury
• Church Stretton School Church Stretton
• Stokesay Primary School Craven Arms
• St Leonard's CofE Primary School Bridgnorth
• Castlefields Primary School Bridgnorth
• Oldbury Wells School Bridgnorth
• Alveley Primary School Bridgnorth

What is Meole Brace School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Meole Brace School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Meole Brace School last inspected by Ofsted?

Meole Brace School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Meole Brace School have?

Meole Brace School has 1,316 pupils on roll.

What age range does Meole Brace School cover?

Meole Brace School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Meole Brace School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.8, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Meole Brace School?

Meole Brace School is at Longden Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 9DW.