Market Drayton Junior School, MARKET DRAYTON
Market Drayton Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Market Drayton, part of Empower Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 10 schools in MARKET DRAYTON with published results, and 11,035th of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Capacity
- 94% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Market Drayton Junior School in detail
Market Drayton Junior School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a busy but friendly school, with lots going on. Please feel free to contact the school direct with any queries you may have. Market Drayton Junior School offers a safe and secure environment that aims to support all aspects of a child’s development; learners within it are emotionally secure and from this they can achieve their full potential."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, hockey, tennis, basketball, badminton, multi-sports, dance and cooking.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Market Drayton Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 63% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 72% in Shropshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 78% in reading and 76% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Market Drayton Junior School
Across Shropshire, 97% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 100% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Shropshire lodged 53 appeals against primary school offers; 14 reached a hearing and 4 succeeded (28.6% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Market Drayton Junior School are Market Drayton Infant & Nursery School (0.3 miles, Good); Longlands Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 81% reading, 61% maths); Buntingsdale Primary School and Nursery (1.6 miles, Good, 75% reading, 58% maths); and Moreton Say CofE Primary School (2.3 miles, Good, 93% reading, 87% maths).
Market Drayton Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Market Drayton Infant & Nursery SchoolLonglands Primary SchoolBuntingsdale Primary School and NurseryMoreton Say CofE Primary School
The trust
Market Drayton Junior School is one of 8 schools run by Empower Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
34.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 49 pupils (14.7%) received SEN support and 10 (3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Market Drayton Junior School.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Allen Estate (opposite), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 67 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Shropshire (10), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Market Drayton Junior School issued 2 suspensions, 0.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from November 2017, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2017 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
34.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 78% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 76% to 63% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.3
Avg class size
30.3
KS2
11
Total classes
5 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Market Drayton Junior School
Spellings for 18/09/26 - sample content
21 Aug 2026
Homework for 18/09/26 - sample content
21 Aug 2026
Headteacher Message
19 Aug 2026
Working with McDonald’s to open first-ever net-zero branch
6 Jun 2026
Centenary Celebrations
6 Jun 2026
Year 4 Multiplication Check
6 Jun 2026
From Market Drayton Junior School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Market Drayton Junior School
Term dates
Market Drayton Junior School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Shropshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Market Drayton Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Market Drayton Junior School is in Shropshire; for families living there:
Apply to Shropshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
94%
Near capacity
339 pupils
360 places
21 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - MARKET DRAYTON
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for MARKET DRAYTON
Across Shropshire council
Places available
3,420
Applications
2,582
Got 1st preference
97.4%
Got preferred school
99.8%
All primary applications across Shropshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
49
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
17.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
333
Total Pupils
166
Boys
167
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
22.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,437
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,320
Per pupil
£2026k
Total funding
£159k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
8.7%
Persistent absence
343
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Market Drayton Junior School
Questions parents ask about Market Drayton Junior School
What are SATs results like at Market Drayton Junior School?
Of the pupils at Market Drayton Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 63% did so in maths.
What is Market Drayton Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Market Drayton Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Market Drayton Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Market Drayton Junior School is oversubscribed, Shropshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Market Drayton Junior School?
Market Drayton Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 360 places.
How big are the classes at Market Drayton Junior School?
Classes at Market Drayton Junior School average 30.3 pupils (2025/26). 5 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Market Drayton Junior School?
Market Drayton Junior School has around 333 pupils on roll. 34% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Market Drayton Junior School?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Market Drayton Junior School in 2024/25. 8.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Market Drayton Junior School?
Apply through Shropshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Market Drayton Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Market Drayton Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Market Drayton Junior School?
Market Drayton Junior School is at Market Drayton Junior School, MARKET DRAYTON, Shropshire, TF9 3HU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)