Mendell Primary School

Mendell Primary School is a small, community-focused primary in Bromborough and is part of Leading Learners Multi Academy Trust. The inspection took place after significant changes in senior leadership since the school opened. Inspectors found the school performing at the expected standard across achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing, with safeguarding standards met. Pupils are described as happy, safe, well cared for and well behaved; they benefit from a welcoming ethos, strong pastoral support and an inclusive approach that helps most pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, make progress from their starting points. Leaders have established a clear, ambitious curriculum, effective early years provision, and strong trust and governance support. The main areas for improvement relate to precision in the earliest reading and writing. A small number of pupils, including children in early years, do not always receive activities closely matched to their prior knowledge, limiting fluency and confidence in phonics and writing. Attendance is generally close to national and improving, but persistent absence remains above national and some pupils still miss too much school; punctuality is also a continuing focus. Published outcomes are often in line with or above national over time, but 2024/25 results for disadvantaged pupils were below national in combined reading, writing and mathematics and in writing and mathematics separately, with large gaps. Leaders should also broaden participation in arts, music and sport, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

Strengths

• Pupils behave very well and contribute to a welcoming, purposeful school atmosphere.
• Pupils feel safe, happy and well cared for, and relationships with staff are positive.
• Leaders have created an inclusive school where individual needs are identified and supported quickly.
• Most pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, achieve well and are prepared for the next stage.
• Pupils read accurately and fluently from books matched to their reading knowledge, with effective additional support.
• The curriculum is clear, ambitious and taught consistently, helping pupils build secure knowledge over time.
• Early years provision is effective, with rich indoor and outdoor environments that foster curiosity and communication.
• Teaching uses clear explanations, questioning and revisiting to deepen pupils' understanding.
• Personal development is woven through school life, including British values, careers activities and pupil leadership roles.
• Pastoral support is effective, helping pupils develop resilience and manage challenges.
• Leaders prioritise attendance and act promptly to support pupils who face barriers to regular attendance.
• The trust, governors and trustees provide effective support and challenge, and staff feel valued and well supported.
• The school works closely with parents, carers and other professionals to improve pupils' experiences.
• Pupils with SEND make progress from their starting points and most learn confidently alongside classmates.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils at the earliest stages of reading and writing do not have learning precisely matched to their prior knowledge, limiting fluency and confidence.
• A small number of pupils need greater fluency in early reading and writing.
• Persistent absence is above national, and some pupils miss school more regularly than is seen nationally.
• Punctuality remains an area to tackle so pupils do not miss essential learning at the start of the day.
• Disadvantaged pupils' 2024/25 outcomes were below national in combined reading, writing and mathematics, writing and mathematics.
• Opportunities in arts, music and sport need broadening, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Early years activities for a small number of children at earlier stages of reading are not always closely matched to their needs.

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 Mendell Primary School attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.7% 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, 2.9% of pupils at Mendell 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 Mendell Primary School had 20.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.5% 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, 14.3% of pupils at Mendell Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% 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 Mendell Primary School received £7,163 and spent £8,444 for each of its 140 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £163,000 (-£1,165 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Leading Learners Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,741 and spending £8,045 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.

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All schools in Wirral · Wirral local authority: places and applications

Mendell Primary School is part of Leading Learners Multi Academy Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Manor Primary School Wirral
• Brookdale Primary School Wirral
• Overchurch Junior School Wirral
• Chapelhill Primary School Wirral
• Tyldesley Primary School Manchester
• Worth Valley Primary School Keighley
• Woodside Academy Bradford
• Reevy Hill Primary School Bradford
• Carrwood Primary School Bradford

What is Mendell Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Mendell Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Mendell Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Mendell Primary School have?

Mendell Primary School has 133 pupils on roll.

What age range does Mendell Primary School cover?

Mendell Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 41% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Mendell Primary School?

Mendell Primary School is at Allport Lane, Bromborough, Wirral, Merseyside, CH62 7HN.