Lower Meadow Primary School

About Lower Meadow Primary School

Lower Meadow Primary School in Sheffield has been rated Good by Ofsted following its most recent graded inspection in 2019, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2015. The school has maintained this standard, with an ungraded inspection in February 2025 confirming that standards are being upheld. Leadership and management, as well as early years provision, were both judged Good. However, the school's academic outcomes tell a more nuanced story. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, just 44% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. This is well below the Sheffield local authority average of 57% and places the school 84th out of 106 primary schools in the area, in the bottom 50 nationally. Only 3% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects.

Looking more closely at individual subjects, 69% of pupils met the expected standard in maths, with an average scaled score of 103, while 59% did so in reading and 46% in writing. The higher standard figures are notably low: 23% in maths, 13% in reading and just 3% in writing. The school's ranking score of 44, based on the combined expected standard metric, places it in the bottom tier nationally. Parent views, gathered between September 2024 and September 2025 from 11 respondents, show mixed feelings. While 73% agreed that their child is happy and 82% felt their child is safe, only 54% agreed that the school has high expectations for their child. Concerns about behaviour were notable: 45% of parents disagreed that the school ensures pupils are well behaved, and 36% disagreed that concerns are dealt with properly.

The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage, with 68.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals. It offers a range of facilities including a forest school, sports hall, ICT suite, music rooms and a library. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties, moderate to severe learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school has a nursery for children aged two and above. For the 2025/26 reception intake, the school was oversubscribed: 30 first-preference applications were made for 30 places, with 38 total applications. This suggests strong local demand despite the below-average academic outcomes. Lower Meadow may suit families who prioritise a school that has improved its Ofsted rating and serves a diverse community, but parents should weigh the academic data carefully, particularly if they have high expectations for attainment at the expected or higher standard.

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