Merrylands Primary School, based in Basildon, provides primary education, serving pupils aged 2 to 11. The school is a academy converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a non-selective admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
Merrylands Primary School currently has around 546 pupils on roll, which is about 87% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 49.8% boys and 50.2% girls. Around 21.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. Pupil backgrounds are varied across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 5.7%. Persistent absence is recorded at 16.5%. The school also includes resourced provision, supporting 9 pupils.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (63.4%). other white pupils make up about 13.7%
Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Cumberland Drive, Basildon, SS15 6QS |
| Website: | www.merrylandsprimaryschool.co.uk/ |
| Telephone: | 01268417893 |
| School Type: | Academy converter |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Essex |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Gemma Pryer |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Non-selective |
| Unique reference: | 143205 |
Ofsted inspection date: 11/03/2025
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 2 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 630 |
| Number of Pupils: | 546 |
| Number of Boys: | 272 |
| Number of Girls: | 274 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 5.7% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 16.5% | 8.2% |
| White British | 63.40% | 346 |
| Other White | 13.70% | 75 |
| Other Mixed | 4.60% | 25 |
| Other Black | 4.40% | 24 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 3.10% | 17 |
| Caribbean | 1.80% | 10 |
| Indian | 1.60% | 9 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 1.30% | 7 |
| White and Black African | 1.30% | 7 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.10% | 6 |
| White and Asian | 0.90% | 5 |
| Other Asian | 0.90% | 5 |
| African | 0.70% | 4 |
| Pakistani | 0.40% | 2 |
| Chinese | 0.40% | 2 |
| Unclassified | 0.40% | 2 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrylands Primary School Cumberland Drive , Laindon SS15 6QS | - not rated | 0 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Merrylands Primary School Cumberland Drive , Laindon SS15 6QS | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Merrylands Infant School Cumberland Drive , Laindon SS15 6QS | - not rated | 183 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Merrylands Junior School Cumberland Drive , Laindon SS15 6QS | - not rated | 214 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Great Berry Primary School Forest Glade , Langdon Hills SS16 6SG | - not rated | 1,070 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Laindon School High Road , Laindon SS15 6DD | - not rated | 1,351 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The James Hornsby High School Leinster Road , Laindon SS15 5NX | - not rated | 1,365 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Nicholas School St Nicholas Lane , SS15 5NX | - not rated | 1,365 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The James Hornsby School Leinster Road , SS15 5NX | 3out of 4 | 1,365 yd | Academy sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| New Campus Basildon Studio School Church Walk House , Church Walk SS14 1GJ | - not rated | 3,196 yd | Studio schools | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prospects College of Advanced Technology Luckyn Lane , SS14 3AY | - not rated | 2,854 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Basildon College Nethermayne , SS16 5NN | - not rated | 2,973 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.