Mereside Church of England Primary Academy
Mereside Church of England Primary Academy is an academy converter in Shrewsbury for pupils aged 5 to 11. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 364 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Mereside Church of England Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2018 of its predecessor, Mereside Church of England Primary School. In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Ofsted inspection: May 2024. KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 5-11 |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Mereside Springfield Shrewsbury Shropshire SY2 6LE |
| Phone | 01743356283 |
| Reference Number | 147106 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 364 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 54.95%
Girls: 45.05% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 14.8% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 6% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 26 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 24.8 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 26.9 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | 21 | 47 |
| 2 | 25 | 20 | 45 |
| 3 | 36 | 22 | 58 |
| 4 | 29 | 17 | 46 |
| 5 | 21 | 30 | 51 |
| 6 | 34 | 26 | 60 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 81.6% |
| White, Other | 5.2% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 2.7% |
| White & Asian | 2.7% |
| Indian | 1.9% |
| Unclassified | 1.6% |
| African | 1.1% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.8% |
| Asian, Other | 0.8% |
| Chinese | 0.5% |
| Irish | 0.5% |
This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, Mereside Church of England Primary School, inspected in January 2018.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 19 Mar 2024 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 19 Mar 2024 | School inspection |
| 04 Oct 2019 | Academy conversion letter |
| 18 Jan 2018 | Short inspection |
| Previously as Mereside Church of England Primary School | |
| 17 Jun 2014 | Full inspection: |
| 04 Mar 2014 | Monitoring visit |
| 02 Oct 2013 | Monitoring visit |
| 25 Jun 2013 | Monitoring visit |
| 26 Mar 2013 | Monitoring visit |
| 11 Dec 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 17 Jan 2011 | Full inspection: |
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 67% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 7% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 106 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 103 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -2 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | -0.2 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | -0.7 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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See how Mereside Church of England Primary Academy ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 29 | 3 |
| Third Preference | 18 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Mereside Church of England Primary Academy had 360 pupils for 420 places. 60 places (14.3%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Shrewsbury Primary” planning area
Shropshire counted 783 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 690 in 2029–30, down 12%.
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 |
| Pupils | 361 | 373 | 377 | 367 | 360 |
| Unfilled | 14.0% | 11.2% | 10.2% | 12.6% | 14.3% |
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 Mereside Church of England Primary Academy attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 3.0% | 6.1% | 4.2% | 4.0% | 3.4% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.5% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Severely absent pupils | 1.6% | 1.5% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 0.6% |
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, 2.0% of pupils at Mereside Church of England Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 5.3 | 0.8 | 3.1 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 Mereside Church of England Primary Academy had 24.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 13.8 | 14.2 | 14.1 | 12.6 | 17.6 | 12.3 | 13.2 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 6.8% | 15.2% | 29.1% | 42.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | – | 77.8% | 75.0% | 94.1% | 64.7% | 55.6% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | – | 7.9 | 7.8 | 14.8 | 9.7 | 1.6 | – |
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, 6.9% of pupils at Mereside Church of England Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Specific learning difficulty | 12 | 1 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 9 | 2 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 3 | 6 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 1 | 5 |
| Hearing impairment | 0 | 1 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 0 | 1 |
| Physical disability | 0 | 1 |
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 Mereside Church of England Primary Academy received £6,542 and spent £6,854 for each of its 358 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £141,000 (-£395 per pupil).
Across all 19 schools of St Chad'S Academies Trust, income was £6,975 and spending £7,330 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £68,000 | £98,000 | -£72,000 | -£136,000 | -£141,000 |
| per pupil | £190 | £269 | -£190 | -£369 | -£395 |
| In-year balance | -£148,000 | £107,000 | -£64,000 | £53,000 | -£111,000 |
| per pupil | -£412 | £294 | -£169 | £144 | -£312 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
Prestfelde School
London Road, Shrewsbury, SY2 6NZ |
0.49 miles |
|
St Giles CofE Primary School
Portland Crescent, 4, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 5NJ |
0.91 miles |
|
Crowmoor Primary School
Crowmere Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 5JJ |
1.07 miles |
|
Coleham Primary School
Greyfriars Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 7EN |
1.1 miles |
|
Belvidere Primary School
Tenbury Drive, Telford Estate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 5YB |
1.29 miles |
|
St Winefride's RC Independent School
Belmont, Shrewsbury, SY1 1TE |
1.4 miles |
|
Meole Brace Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Church Road, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 9HG |
1.66 miles |
|
Wilfred Owen Primary School
The Monkmoor Campus, Woodcote Way, Monkmoor, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 5SH |
1.69 miles |
|
Shrewsbury Cathedral Catholic Primary School and Nursery
New Park Road, Castlefields, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 2SP |
1.76 miles |
|
The Martin Wilson School
New Park Road, Castlefields, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 2SP |
1.78 miles |
|
Greenfields Primary School
Hemsworth Way, Ellesmere Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 2AH |
2.09 miles |
|
Radbrook Primary School
Calverton Way, Bank Farm Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 6DZ |
2.14 miles |
|
St George's Junior School
Woodfield Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 8LU |
2.22 miles |
|
Woodfield Infant School & Nursery
Woodfield Road, Copthorne, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 8LU |
2.28 miles |
|
Mount Pleasant Primary
Whitemere Road, Mount Pleasant, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 3BY |
2.31 miles |
|
Oakmeadow Church of England Primary and Nursery School
Longmeadow Site, Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 0NU |
2.45 miles |
|
Sundorne Infant School and Nursery
Featherbed Lane, Shrewsbury, SY1 4QN |
2.46 miles |
|
Harlescott Junior School
Featherbed Lane, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 4QN |
2.68 miles |
|
Bowbrook Primary School
Squinter Pip Way, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY5 8PY |
2.87 miles |
|
St Lucia's CofE Primary School & Nursery
Upton Magna, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 4TZ |
2.92 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Belvidere School
Belvidere Lane, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 5RJ |
1.06 miles |
|
Shrewsbury High School
|
1.5 miles |
|
Bettws Lifehouse
Kingsland Grange, Old Roman Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 9AH |
1.62 miles |
|
Shrewsbury School
The Schools, Shrewsbury, SY3 7BA |
1.65 miles |
|
Severndale Specialist Academy
Woodcote Way, Monkmoor, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 5SH |
1.66 miles |
|
Shrewsbury College
Priory Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 1RX |
1.73 miles |
|
The Priory School
Longden Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 9EE |
1.76 miles |
|
Meole Brace School
Longden Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 9DW |
1.79 miles |
|
Shrewsbury Academy
Corndon Crescent, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 4LL |
2.55 miles |
|
The Keystone Academy
Squinter Pip Way, Shrewsbury, SY5 8PY |
2.82 miles |
|
Harlescott House School
Harlescott Lane, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 3BA |
3.4 miles |
|
Oakwood School
Unit 2, The Oaks Business Park, Shepherds Lane, Shrewsbury, SY3 8BT |
3.99 miles |
All schools in Shrewsbury · Shropshire local authority: places and applications
Mereside Church of England Primary Academy is part of St Chad'S Academies Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:
- St Peter's Bratton Church of England Academy Telford
- Dawley Church of England Primary Academy Telford
- Holy Trinity Church of England Primary Academy and Nursery Oswestry
- St Mary's CofE First Academy Wheaton Aston
- Bishop Lonsdale Church of England Primary Academy Stafford
- Brewood Middle CofE Academy Stafford
- St Jude's Church of England Primary Academy Wolverhampton
- Trinity CofE Primary Academy Wolverhampton
- Havergal CofE (C) Primary School Wolverhampton
- St John's CofE Primary Academy Stafford
What is Mereside Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Mereside Church of England Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2018 of its predecessor, Mereside Church of England Primary School.
When was Mereside Church of England Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?
Mereside Church of England Primary Academy was last inspected in May 2024.
How many pupils does Mereside Church of England Primary Academy have?
Mereside Church of England Primary Academy has 364 pupils on roll.
What age range does Mereside Church of England Primary Academy cover?
Mereside Church of England Primary Academy for pupils aged 5 to 11.
What are Mereside Church of England Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is Mereside Church of England Primary Academy?
Mereside Church of England Primary Academy is at Mereside, Springfield, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 6LE.