Merrydale Junior School, Leicester
Merrydale Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Leicester, part of Discovery Schools Academies Trust Ltd. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 87th-highest of the 138 schools in Leicester with published results, and 9,396th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Capacity
- 99% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Merrydale Junior School in detail
Merrydale Junior School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am absolutely delighted to have you here. My name is Antony Corbett, and I have been fortunate enough to serve this incredibly vibrant and diverse community for the past 28 years. I am currently the head teacher, but I have fulfilled many roles over my years here."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at Merrydale Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 71% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 75% in Leicester and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 63% in reading and 72% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Merrydale Junior School
Across Leicester, 97% 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 Leicester lodged 91 appeals against primary school offers; 58 reached a hearing and 4 succeeded (6.9% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Merrydale Junior School are Merrydale Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); 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).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Merrydale Junior School.
Merrydale Infant SchoolSt Barnabas CofE Primary SchoolNorth Mead Primary AcademyGreen Lane Infant School
The trust
Merrydale Junior School is one of 21 schools run by Discovery Schools Academies Trust Ltd, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
108 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Merrydale Junior School (as of September 2025): 90% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 76% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (76%).
Who goes there
80.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (70%), White British (10%) and Black (6%).
In 2026, 52 pupils (14.7%) received SEN support and 4 (1.1%) 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.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Claydon Road (adjacent), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Merrydale Junior 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 Junior School issued 3 suspensions, 0.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Merrydale Junior School are Avanti Fields School (1 mile) and Soar Valley College (1.1 miles).
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; 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 October 2019, 7 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates an inclusive, welcoming environment where all children feel they belong. Staff hold high expectations for every pupil, and the school excels at supporting children learning English as an additional language. Children develop confidence through leadership roles, charitable work, and practical learning activities.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with well-trained staff delivering phonics consistently, helping pupils catch up quickly
- Effective behaviour management and generally high attendance rates
- Excellent support for pupils' social and emotional wellbeing through trained staff and organised spaces
- Clear, broad and balanced curriculum that builds knowledge over time
- Strong inclusive practice for pupils with special educational needs and those new to English
Areas for Improvement
- In a few subjects, the school has not clearly identified the most important content pupils need to know and remember, leading to gaps in knowledge
- Some pupils who are new to English did not achieve the expected standard in reading and writing by the end of key stage 2, despite making good progress from their starting points
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, local leadership programme with other schools, charity fundraising
Merrydale Junior School is a happy, warm and welcoming school that has maintained good standards. The school successfully supports pupils from diverse backgrounds, including many who arrive with little English.
At a Glance
31.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
108 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 improved from 63% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 56% to 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.6
Avg class size
29.6
KS2
10
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Merrydale Junior School
Before and after school care
Merrydale Junior School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Leicester
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Merrydale Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Merrydale Junior 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
356 pupils
360 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.
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
52
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
15.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
354
Total Pupils
194
Boys
160
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
22.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,443
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,547
Per pupil
£2264k
Total funding
£173k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
16.6%
Persistent absence
379
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 Junior School
Questions parents ask about Merrydale Junior School
What are SATs results like at Merrydale Junior School?
Of the pupils at Merrydale Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 74% reached the expected standard in reading and 71% did so in maths.
What is Merrydale Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Merrydale Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Merrydale Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Merrydale Junior 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 Junior School?
Merrydale Junior School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Merrydale Junior School?
Classes at Merrydale Junior School average 29.6 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 Merrydale Junior School?
Merrydale Junior School has around 354 pupils on roll. 32% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Merrydale Junior School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Merrydale Junior School in 2024/25. 16.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Merrydale Junior School?
Apply through Leicester's coordinated admissions process, naming Merrydale 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 Merrydale Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Merrydale Junior School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Merrydale Junior 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 Junior School?
Merrydale Junior School is at Claydon Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 0PL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)