Meridian Primary School, Cambridge
Meridian Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Cambridge. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 54th-highest of the 76 schools in Cambridge with published results, and 8,057th of 14,452 across England. It was 58% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cambridgeshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Meridian Primary School in detail
Meridian Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, tennis, athletics, dance, choir, orchestra and coding.
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at Meridian Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 74% in Cambridgeshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 82% in reading and 76% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Meridian Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put Meridian Primary School as their first choice and 35 named it as one of their preferences, for 23 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Meridian Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Meridian Primary School are Barton CofE VA Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 91% reading, 77% maths); Hardwick and Cambourne Community Primary School (1.8 miles, Good, 78% reading, 63% maths); Coton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School (2.1 miles, Requires improvement, 81% reading, 76% maths); and Caldecote Primary School (2.5 miles, Good, 100% reading, 88% maths).
Meridian Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Barton CofE VA Primary SchoolHardwick and Cambourne Community Primary SchoolCoton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary SchoolCaldecote Primary School
What parents say
59 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Meridian Primary School (as of September 2025): 75% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 44% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (44%).
Who goes there
10% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 25 pupils (13.9%) received SEN support and 1 (0.6%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Meridian Primary School had 12 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Meridian Primary School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Swayne Lane (opposite), 220 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Meridian Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 5 crimes within a mile of the school, most often criminal damage and arson, anti-social behaviour and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cambridgeshire (57).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Meridian Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 1.6 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; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2018, 8 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
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are keen to show they understand the new school values of 'resilience, kindness, respect, community and curiosity'. Many try their best to achieve these. For example, they show respect for, and value, other pupils' differences.
Pupils and staff have positive and courteous relationships. This means pupils feel safe and comfortable seeking help with concerns or worries.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has been through a period of instability. It now has new leadership in place. Leaders have acted swiftly to ensure that the pupils and staff understand the school's straightforward vision and values. This is important because it allows everyone to work towards the same aims. However, some crucial changes are still in the early stages of development. These include plans to improve pupils' behaviour and raise writing standards.
The school has some strengths, particularly in the teaching of mathematics and early reading. This is because the curriculum in these areas is structured well. Teachers know what to teach and when. The curriculum in these subjects also outlines the specific learning tasks pupils should complete. This enables staff to provide pupils with tasks that match pupils' knowledge and skills, ensuring they are able to know more as a result.
From Ofsted's September 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2018 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
10.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
59 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 82% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 70% to 61% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.3
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
24.5
KS2
3
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Meridian Primary School
Term dates
Meridian Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Cambridgeshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Meridian Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Meridian Primary School is in Cambridgeshire; for families living there:
- Cambridgeshire's school travel policy: School Travel Assistance Policy - Mainstream September 2025 326KB - pdf
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 1 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
0 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 Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 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
Your chances of a place at Meridian Primary School
Will you get a place at Meridian Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Meridian Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Meridian Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Meridian Primary School.
- Cambridgeshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Meridian Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Meridian Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cambridgeshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
58%
Available places
192 pupils
330 places
138 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Cambridge
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cambridge
Across Cambridgeshire council
Places available
8,107
Applications
6,292
Got 1st preference
94.7%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Cambridgeshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
25
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
14.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
180
Total Pupils
83
Boys
97
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
15.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,416
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,444
Per pupil
£1119k
Total funding
£29k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
8.2%
Persistent absence
171
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
Meridian Primary School
Questions parents ask about Meridian Primary School
What are SATs results like at Meridian Primary School?
Of the pupils at Meridian Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 74% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is Meridian Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Meridian Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Meridian Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Meridian Primary School is oversubscribed, Cambridgeshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Meridian Primary School?
Meridian Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 58% of its 330 places.
How big are the classes at Meridian Primary School?
Classes at Meridian Primary School average 26.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Meridian Primary School?
Meridian Primary School has around 180 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Meridian Primary School?
4% of sessions were missed at Meridian Primary School in 2024/25. 8.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Meridian Primary School?
Apply through Cambridgeshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Meridian Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
What are Meridian Primary School's term dates?
Meridian Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Cambridgeshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Meridian Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 1 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 0 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 Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Meridian Primary School?
Meridian Primary School is at Harbour Avenue, Comberton, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB23 7DD.
Sources: Cambridgeshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)