Merryfields School, Newcastle
Merryfields School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Newcastle, part of Manor Hall Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Merryfields School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Merryfields School are Kaleidoscope School (0.8 miles, Good); Lyme Brook Independent School (0.8 miles, Good, selective); Blackfriars Academy (1.2 miles, Outstanding); and Coppice Academy (1.6 miles, Good).
Kaleidoscope SchoolLyme Brook Independent SchoolBlackfriars AcademyCoppice Academy
The trust
Merryfields School is one of 16 schools run by Manor Hall Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
30 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Merryfields School (as of September 2025): 87% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (90%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).
Who goes there
46.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 9.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%) and Mixed (7%).
Almost every pupil at Merryfields School has an education, health and care plan (118 of 118 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Merryfields School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Platform 2, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sparch Hollow (opposite), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Merryfields 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 287 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Merryfields School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from March 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at understanding each child's individual needs and supporting them with care and dignity. Children develop strong communication skills and gain practical life skills through regular community visits to cafes, libraries and shops. Staff create a warm, welcoming environment where pupils are settled, happy and making excellent progress.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional understanding of pupils' SEND needs with highly personalised interventions and strong outcomes
- Calm, settled behaviour and positive attitudes with skilled staff support for pupils' emotional needs
- Strong promotion of reading with effective phonics teaching and early misconception identification
- Broad, ambitious curriculum with rich opportunities for life skills learning in the community
- Excellent personal development including leadership roles, religious visits and money management skills
Areas for Improvement
- In a few subjects, key knowledge, skills and vocabulary are not defined precisely enough, meaning pupils' learning does not always build consistently on prior learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong safeguarding culture and staff who understand pupils' individual communication of needs.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, head boy/head girl roles, weekly community visits, visits to synagogues/mosques/church, cafe visits, library trips, shopping activities
Merryfields School is a specialist provider for pupils with SEND aged 2-11 that has maintained good standards since its previous inspection. Pupils thrive in a calm, nurturing environment where staff have high expectations and pupils achieve very well.
At a Glance
46.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
30 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)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Merryfields School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Merryfields School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Merryfields School is in Staffordshire; for families living there:
Apply to Staffordshire 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
- 1
- 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, 1 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 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
Area Demand Pressure - Newcastle
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newcastle
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
8,807
Applications
7,681
Got 1st preference
91.9%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
118
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Merryfields School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
118
Total Pupils
91
Boys
27
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
7.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,584
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.6%
Overall absence
21.5%
Persistent absence
107
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Questions parents ask about Merryfields School
What are SATs results like at Merryfields School?
Of the pupils at Merryfields School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Merryfields School's Ofsted rating?
Merryfields School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Merryfields School?
No fixed boundary. When Merryfields School is oversubscribed, Staffordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Merryfields School?
Merryfields School has around 118 pupils on roll. 47% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Merryfields School have specialist SEN provision?
Merryfields School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Merryfields School?
7.6% of sessions were missed at Merryfields School in 2024/25. 21.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Merryfields School?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Merryfields 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 Merryfields 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, 1 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Merryfields School?
Merryfields School is at Hoon Avenue, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 9NY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)