The Merton Primary School, Leicester
The Merton Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Leicester, part of Bradgate Education Partnership. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 82nd-highest of the 138 schools in Leicester with published results, and 8,618th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Leicestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Merton Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at The Merton Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 77% in Leicestershire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 82% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at The Merton Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 46 families put The Merton Primary School as their first choice and 134 named it as one of their preferences, for 48 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 The Merton Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Merton Primary School are St Peter and St Paul Church of England Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 73% reading, 68% maths); Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.9 miles, 59% reading, 69% maths); The Pochin School (0.9 miles, Outstanding, 85% reading, 95% maths); and Eastfield Primary School (0.9 miles, Requires improvement, 64% reading, 78% maths).
The Merton Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
St Peter and St Paul Church of England AcademyBishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary AcademyThe Pochin SchoolEastfield Primary School
The trust
The Merton Primary School is one of 19 schools run by Bradgate Education Partnership, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
109 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Merton Primary School (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 71% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (96%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (68%).
Who goes there
11.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 7.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (79%), Asian (13%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 44 pupils (10.7%) received SEN support and 9 (2.2%) 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 Syston Rail Station, about 890 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Montague Avenue (adjacent), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 95 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Leicestershire (58), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Merton Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Merton Primary School are The Roundhill Academy (0.9 miles) and Wreake Valley Academy (0.9 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
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 June 2014, 12 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 Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Merton Primary School creates a happy, calm environment where children feel safe and enjoy coming to school. Staff have high expectations and pupils are encouraged to develop their talents through a range of opportunities. Reading is particularly well-prioritised, with pupils receiving effective support to keep up with their peers.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with effective support for pupils who need extra help
- High staff expectations that pupils live up to, with calm and respectful behaviour throughout the school
- Well-developed curriculum with pupils learning subject-specific vocabulary and building knowledge over time
- Effective personal development programme covering online safety, physical health, and British values
- Good range of clubs, trips, and enrichment activities that pupils engage with enthusiastically
Areas for Improvement
- Strategies for helping pupils recall prior learning are sometimes not effective enough
- Checks on pupils' previous learning in some subjects do not precisely identify gaps in knowledge
- Targets set for pupils with SEND do not always clearly define what they should achieve
- Leaders do not always have detailed oversight to identify what is going well and what needs to improve
- Pupils do not always recall learning connected to different religions and cultures
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils feeling safe, bullying being rare, and pupils knowing who to talk to if they have concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Basketball team, science club, reading ambassadors programme, author visits, residential visits, various clubs and trips
The Merton Primary School is a good school where pupils are encouraged to be the best they can be and feel safe in a calm, happy environment. Most pupils achieve well, though the school continues to work on curriculum improvements to help pupils know and remember more.
At a Glance
11.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
109 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 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 85% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 75% to 66% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.5
Avg class size
28.8
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
14
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Merton Primary School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Merton Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Merton Primary School is in Leicestershire; for families living there:
- Leicestershire's school travel policy: Mainstream School Transport for 5 to 16 year olds
- How to apply: Request for school transport on medical grounds form PDF, 359.48 KB Opens new window
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 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 The Merton Primary School
Will you get a place at The Merton Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Merton Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Merton Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Merton Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Leicestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Merton Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Leicestershire 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
98%
Near capacity
411 pupils
420 places
9 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 Leicestershire council
Places available
8,574
Applications
6,827
Got 1st preference
94.0%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Leicestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
44
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
12.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
413
Total Pupils
217
Boys
196
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
22.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,275
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2245k
Total funding
£68k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.7%
Overall absence
6.1%
Persistent absence
359
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
The Merton Primary School
Questions parents ask about The Merton Primary School
What are SATs results like at The Merton Primary School?
Of the pupils at The Merton Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is The Merton Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The Merton Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Merton Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When The Merton Primary School is oversubscribed, Leicestershire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Merton Primary School?
The Merton Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at The Merton Primary School?
Classes at The Merton Primary School average 29.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Merton Primary School?
The Merton Primary School has around 413 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Merton Primary School?
3.7% of sessions were missed at The Merton Primary School in 2024/25. 6.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Merton Primary School?
Apply through Leicestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Merton 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.
How many road collisions happen near The Merton Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Merton Primary School?
The Merton Primary School is at Cherry Drive, Syston, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE7 2PT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)