Merdon Junior School, Eastleigh
Merdon Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Eastleigh. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 15 schools in Eastleigh with published results, and 9,159th of 14,452 across England. It was 89% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Capacity
- 89% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Merdon Junior School in detail
Merdon Junior School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "As Headteacher, I am delighted to welcome you and your family to Merdon Junior School. We are a vibrant community where every child is encouraged to be aspirational, connected, and thoughtful - values that shape everything we do. We believe that strong partnerships between home, school, and our local community are essential to your child's success and well-being."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Merdon Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 71% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in Hampshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 88% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Merdon Junior School
Across Hampshire, 93% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Hampshire lodged 254 appeals against primary school offers; 146 reached a hearing and 8 succeeded (5.5% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Merdon Junior School are Fryern Infant School (0.3 miles, Good); Chandler's Ford Infant School (0.4 miles, Good); Scantabout Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 97% reading, 85% maths); and Fryern Junior School (0.4 miles, Good, 76% reading, 66% maths).
Merdon Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
Fryern Infant SchoolChandler's Ford Infant SchoolScantabout Primary SchoolFryern Junior School
What parents say
89 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Merdon Junior School (as of September 2025): 69% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 58% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (87%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (58%).
Who goes there
11.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (77%) and Mixed (9%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chandlers Ford Rail Station, about 1030 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Kendal Close (adjacent), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Merdon Junior School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Merdon Junior School issued 8 suspensions, 3.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Merdon Junior School are Thornden School (0.6 miles), The Toynbee School (0.8 miles) and Crestwood Community School (1.1 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school has done an excellent job stabilizing after leadership changes. Teachers are skilled at helping children understand and remember what they learn, with pupils making thoughtful connections across subjects. The school makes wonderful use of its outdoor spaces, and all children - including the most disadvantaged - have plenty of opportunities to develop their talents.
Key Strengths
- Pupils feel safe and happy, with clear expectations through the school's three golden rules applied consistently
- Teaching across the curriculum is expert, with staff using effective methods to help pupils remember and deepen their knowledge
- Strong phonics and reading programme ensures pupils learn to read accurately and develop a love of books
- Excellent use of the school's extensive outdoor grounds and woods for learning
- Disadvantaged pupils achieve equally well as their peers
Areas for Improvement
- Personal development programme is not fully embedded, meaning pupils are sometimes unclear about important content and British values
- Teaching of personal, social and health education has been variable over time
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Extra-curricular clubs and experiences available to all pupils including disadvantaged pupils
Merdon Junior School is a good school that has emerged from leadership changes to create a stable, positive environment where pupils feel safe and thrive. Pupils achieve well across a broad curriculum and show maturity in their learning.
At a Glance
11.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
89 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 88% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 82% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 69% to 60% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.6
Avg class size
27.6
KS2
8
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Merdon Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Merdon Junior School.
- Rebeccas out of School Club600m away · Not yet graded
- Challengers Eastleigh Playscheme600m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Merdon Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Merdon Junior School is in Hampshire; for families living there:
Apply to Hampshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 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
89%
Available places
229 pupils
256 places
27 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Eastleigh
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Eastleigh
Across Hampshire council
Places available
15,642
Applications
12,982
Got 1st preference
93.4%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All primary applications across Hampshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(13)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
17.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
221
Total Pupils
117
Boys
104
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
18.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,867
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,095
Per pupil
£1267k
Total funding
£38k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
11.5%
Persistent absence
234
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
Merdon Junior School
Questions parents ask about Merdon Junior School
What are SATs results like at Merdon Junior School?
Of the pupils at Merdon Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 71% did so in maths.
What is Merdon Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Merdon Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Merdon Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Merdon Junior School is oversubscribed, Hampshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Merdon Junior School?
Merdon Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 89% of its 256 places.
How big are the classes at Merdon Junior School?
Classes at Merdon Junior School average 27.6 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Merdon Junior School?
Merdon Junior School has around 221 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Merdon Junior School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at Merdon Junior School in 2024/25. 11.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Merdon Junior School?
Apply through Hampshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Merdon 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.
Does Merdon Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Merdon Junior School: Rebeccas out of School Club (600m away, registered, not yet graded) and Challengers Eastleigh Playscheme (600m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Merdon Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Merdon Junior School?
Merdon Junior School is at Merdon Avenue, Chandler's Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO53 1EJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)