River Mead School, Melksham

Good
Primary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Ages 211

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~764m)Possible (~1.1km)Unlikely (~1.4km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Miss Louise Harrison
Pupils:261 / 210 capacity
LA:Wiltshire
Phone:01225703428
Address:Lowbourne, Melksham, SN12 7ED
Trust:EQUA MEAD LEARNING TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 April 2013

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 2 years ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Outstanding

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 1 October 2024View full report
URN:139260
UKPRN:10040142
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Melksham and Devizes
Urban/Rural:Urban: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2019 inspection — up from Requires Improvement.

Rated Good for

Leadership & management.

A plain-English summary of the full inspection report is coming soon.

At a Glance

45.0%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, VI - Visual Impairment, OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, HI - Hearing Impairment

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

57 responses
Would recommend91%
Child is happy95%
Well taught95%
Good progress83%
Feels safe90%
Well behaved90%
Bullying dealt with11%
Kept informed86%
Handles concerns51%
Wider development86%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-9ppMaths-6ppWriting-3pp

Reading has declined from 56% to 47%. Maths has declined from 50% to 44%. Writing has remained stable at around 50%.

Class Sizes

22.1

Avg class size

27.3

Infant (KS1)

23.0

KS2

9

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Melksham Rail Station
751m · 12 min walk

Bus Stops

Forest Road (SW-bound)
222m · 4 min walk
King George Park (N-bound)
277m · 5 min walk
St Margaret's Gardens (W-bound)
376m · 6 min walk
Riverside Drive (W-bound)
438m · 7 min walk
The Bear (opp)
448m · 7 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

124%

Over capacity

261 pupils

210 capacity

51 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Melksham

Low pressure
New homes approved:390
Projected new pupils:98

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Melksham

Admissions Demand - Wiltshire

Low demand0.70x oversubscription

Places available

6,311

Applications

4,449

Got 1st preference

95.2%

Got preferred school

99.0%

Primary admissions across Wiltshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(6)

1 October 2024
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding
Early YearsGood
23 January 2019
Leadership & ManagementGood
12 July 2016
Requires ImprovementReport
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.8451%

Overall absence

17.45283%

Persistent absence

212

Enrolments

Authorised5.50818%
Unauthorised1.33692%
Persistent (10%+)17.45283%
Severe (50%+)1.88679%

Absence trend

6.58498%
18/19
7.14097%
20/21
9.18223%
21/22
8.59044%
22/23
8.48081%
23/24
6.8451%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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