Merrydale Infant School, Leicester
Merrydale Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Leicester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. It was 99% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Leicester (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Merrydale Infant School in detail
Merrydale Infant School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am very proud to be the Headteacher of such an exciting and caring school. We are known in our city for supporting children with special needs. We welcome all children and help them to learn in a supportive and caring school. We give a good education for pupils between the ages of three and seven."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Merrydale Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 75 families put Merrydale Infant School as their first choice and 101 named it as one of their preferences, for 76 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Merrydale Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Merrydale Infant School are Merrydale Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 74% reading, 71% maths); St Barnabas CofE Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 73% reading, 86% maths); North Mead Primary Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 83% maths); and Green Lane Infant School (0.6 miles, Good).
Merrydale Junior SchoolSt Barnabas CofE Primary SchoolNorth Mead Primary AcademyGreen Lane Infant School
Who goes there
13.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 84.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (76%), White British (7%) and Black (6%).
In 2026, 37 pupils (11.1%) received SEN support and 4 (1.2%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leicester Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Claydon Road (adjacent), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Merrydale Infant School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Merrydale Infant School issued 1 suspension, 0.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Merrydale Infant School are Avanti Fields School (1 mile) and Soar Valley College (1.1 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
13.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
25.6
Avg class size
29.1
Infant (KS1)
10
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Merrydale Infant School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Merrydale Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Merrydale Infant School is in Leicester; for families living there:
Apply to Leicester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 38
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 38 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 28 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Leicester is 24.5 (the median across 142 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 Merrydale Infant School
Will you get a place at Merrydale Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Merrydale Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Merrydale Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Merrydale Infant School.
- Leicester publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Merrydale Infant School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Merrydale Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Leicester 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
99%
Near capacity
266 pupils
270 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Leicester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leicester
Across Leicester council
Places available
4,828
Applications
3,626
Got 1st preference
96.8%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Leicester council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
12.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
334
Total Pupils
176
Boys
158
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
22.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,193
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,859
Per pupil
£1784k
Total funding
£98k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.1%
Overall absence
21.0%
Persistent absence
186
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
Merrydale Infant School
Questions parents ask about Merrydale Infant School
What is Merrydale Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Merrydale Infant School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023.
What is the catchment area for Merrydale Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Merrydale Infant School is oversubscribed, Leicester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Merrydale Infant School?
Merrydale Infant School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Merrydale Infant School?
Classes at Merrydale Infant School average 25.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Merrydale Infant School?
Merrydale Infant School has around 334 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Merrydale Infant School?
6.1% of sessions were missed at Merrydale Infant School in 2024/25. 21% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Merrydale Infant School?
Apply through Leicester's coordinated admissions process, naming Merrydale Infant 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.
How many road collisions happen near Merrydale Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 38 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 28 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Leicester is 24.5 (the median across 142 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Merrydale Infant School?
Merrydale Infant School is at Claydon Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 0PL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)