Merrydale Infant School
Claydon Road, Leicester, LE5 0PL
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Community school
- Ages
- 3 to 7
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mr Mark Tipple-Johnson
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Leicester East
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 270
- Pupils on roll
- 334
- URN
- 120023
- Local authority
- Leicester
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01162767593
About this school
Merrydale Infant School is a community primary school in Leicester. It teaches children aged 3 to 7 and has 334 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Merrydale Infant School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How Merrydale Infant School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 7.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6.2% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 358 |
| 2023/24 | 352 |
| 2024/25 | 353 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Merrydale Infant School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 36% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 6.2% | 25.1% | 334 | — |
| Merrydale Junior School | 67% | 5.6% | 32.3% | 354 | 0.0 miles |
| St Barnabas CofE Primary School | 66% | 5.4% | 18.8% | 335 | 0.3 miles |
| North Mead Primary Academy | 69% | 4.6% | 39.4% | 447 | 0.5 miles |
| Green Lane Infant School | — | 6.8% | 10.8% | 278 | 0.6 miles |
| Bridge Junior School | 43% | 4.5% | 15.6% | 295 | 0.7 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
- 21 November 2023
-
Ungraded inspection report28 September 2022
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 25.09%
- English as an additional language
- 83.3%
- Overall absence
- 6.15%
- Persistent absence
- 20.97%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Merrydale Junior School0.0 miles
Primary · Leicester
-
St Barnabas CofE Primary School0.3 miles
Primary · Leicester
-
North Mead Primary Academy0.5 miles
Primary · Leicester
-
Green Lane Infant School0.6 miles
Primary · Leicester
-
Bridge Junior School0.7 miles
Primary · Leicester
Other schools in Leicester
- Abbey Mead Primary Academy Primary
- Alderman Richard Hallam Primary School Primary
- All Saints Church of England Primary School, Sapcote Primary
- Arnesby Church of England Primary School Primary
- Avenue Primary School Primary
- Badgerbrook Primary School Primary
- Barley Croft Primary School Primary
- Barwell Church of England Academy Primary
- Barwell Infant School Primary
- Beaumont Lodge Primary School Primary
- Belgrave St Peter's CofE Primary School Primary
- Billesdon Church of England Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Merrydale Infant School teach?
- Merrydale Infant School teaches children aged 3 to 7. It is a primary school in Leicester.
- Who is the headteacher of Merrydale Infant School?
- The headteacher of Merrydale Infant School is Mr Mark Tipple-Johnson, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Merrydale Infant School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Merrydale Infant School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Merrydale Infant School?
- Merrydale Infant School has 334 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 7.
- Is Merrydale Infant School full?
- Merrydale Infant School has capacity for 270 pupils and 334 on roll (124%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Merrydale Infant School a faith school?
- No. Merrydale Infant School has no designated religious character.
- Does Merrydale Infant School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Merrydale Infant School as having nursery classes.
- What is Merrydale Infant School's absence rate?
- Merrydale Infant School's overall absence rate is 6.2% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Merrydale Infant School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Merrydale Infant School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 30 June 2026.