School Chooser

Meldreth Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil194 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubCambridgeshire
School Chooser Score
81
Above
similar schools
Likely range 62 to 91
Out of 100. Better than 88% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, November 2024
Reached the expected level at 1179%England 63%
Attendance95.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families17%Far fewer than most schools
Places16 spare194 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher21.6School workforce census

Meldreth Primary School is a council school in Nr Royston for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 194 pupils and room for 210. About 17 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 81 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

High Street, Meldreth, Nr Royston, SG8 6LA01763 260432meldreth.cambs.sch.ukMrs Sasha Howard headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 26 November 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

24 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1179%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level17%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score108.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 71%71%20172018: 81%81%20182019: 72%72%20192023: 71%71%20232024: 67%67%20242025: 79%79%2025
Since 2017: +8%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017CambridgeshireEngland
Pupils tested243334292124
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths79%67%71%72%81%71%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths17%3%3%17%24%13%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0108.0105.0105.0108.0105.0106.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score108.0108.0107.0109.0109.0110.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0108.0105.0107.0112.0109.0105.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard88%85%74%79%81%92%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard88%91%91%97%95%100%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)88%67%79%86%86%71%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.1-2.9+1.5+0.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.0+1.4+3.4+5.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged57%38%38%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged88%76%81%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
57%88%
Gap 31 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
79%80%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
14%17%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places192 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
91% full

About 18 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 7% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 2.6 miles away in 2026, 3.4 miles away in 2025, 1.1 miles away in 2024. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 2.6 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary30302.6 milesLA
2025 Primary30303.4 milesLA
2024 Primary30301.1 milesLA
2023 Primary30302.1 milesLA
2022 Primary303016.9 miles (distance, outside the catchment area)LA
2021 Primary3030440 mLA
2020 Primary25272.6 milesLA
2019 Primary25253.3 milesLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What a home within 1.1 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 1.1 miles of the school£400,000half sold for £310k to £593k
Homes sold124December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-8%a typical home in the district sells for £436,452

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll194Census January 2026
Places21092% full
Pupils from low-income families18%17% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support19%36 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.85 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils20%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)17%£49,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls97 / 97
White British pupils86%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (13), emotional and mental health (9), Autistic spectrum disorder (6), Specific learning difficulty (6), Moderate learning difficulty (4), Multi-sensory impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll194191208209203196
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals18%18%17%17%13%12%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%3%5%3%5%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support19%17%16%13%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%4%4%4%5%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school8.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.62024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.3%5.2%6.2%7.3%3.7%4.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.8%5.0%5.6%6.9%3.5%4.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.5%0.2%0.6%0.4%0.3%0.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence8.3%10.5%13.8%15.8%11.0%7.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.63.90.50.02.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers8.9full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher21.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers91%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,975
Teachers who left in the year15%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.72024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£8,256England £7,738. Total £1.6m
Income per pupil£8,408England £7,697. Total £1.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,233England £3,480
Money in reserve14%A healthy amount put by: £223k, £1,178 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£29kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,256spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m7712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate48 per 1,000 people48% lower than the England average
Typical house price£435,000South Cambridgeshire

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Melbourn Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles357Report card 202643Compare
Foxton Primary SchoolCouncil2.6 miles79Good 202217Compare
Fowlmere Primary SchoolCouncil2.6 miles73No overall grade 20257Compare
Roman Way AcademyAcademy2.8 miles219Good 202330Compare
Petersfield CofE Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England2.8 miles125Good 202030Compare
Barrington CofE VC Primary SchoolChurch of England2.9 miles174Good 202225Compare
King James Academy RoystonAcademy2.9 miles947Good 202448Compare
Icknield Walk First SchoolCouncil3.1 miles335No overall grade 202580Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Meldreth Primary School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats88%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 81 is 33 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 48 · highest 85100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 81 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 81% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 62 to 91. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%above
+0.09
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 24 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.09
Ofsted grade, 1.8 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.05
DfE progress measure; 24 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.14
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.06
2024/25; 169 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.09
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 24 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Meldreth Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Meldreth Primary School scores 81 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 62 to 91, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Meldreth Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Meldreth Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 26 November 2024.

How good are Meldreth Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 79% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 17% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Meldreth Primary School have?

194 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 92% full.

Is Meldreth Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 2.6 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Meldreth Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 8% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Meldreth Primary School?

The average class had 26.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 20% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Meldreth Primary School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
High Street, Meldreth, Nr Royston, SG8 6LA
Telephone
01763 260432
Website
www.meldreth.cambs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Sasha Howard
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Cambridgeshire
Ward
Melbourn
Constituency
South Cambridgeshire
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
110615 · LAESTAB 8732029 · UKPRN 10077880

Where these figures come from