Hello, I don't know if you are still looking for information about Mere School, but I have two children there and am also one of the school's Governors, so maybe I can help?
My eldest is academic and has been a high achiever since the start. His younger brother is on the face of it less academic - though maybe has just suffered by comparison.....we've just had the KS1 SATs results which show him to be above average, so I was maybe judging him unfairly!
The school is a community primary and has children with a wide range of abilities. I'm confident that my own children are being challenged and making good progress. They often tell me their targets and what they need to improve, and get excited by their achievements, like moving up to the next level in reading, for example. The teachers have high expectations for all the children and it's very motivating for them - they really want to please! The Governing body just did a parent survey which showed that the quality of teaching was one of the things parents value most about the school.
Out of interest, Mere is one of many feeder schools for Gillingham secondary in Dorset. Gillingham School recently selected just ten high achieving pupils from year 10 to take to a taster day at Oxford University. Four of them were former Mere School pupils.
While I'm happy that my children are doing well academically, it's important to me that they are well-rounded as well. They get the chance to take part in plenty of competitive sports/athletics, creative activities and after school clubs which really helps their confidence. There's a strong sense of community at the school, too, and the children really benefit from that - it's very inclusive.
It's impossible, really, to tell whether a school is going to be good for a particular child without going along for a visit. Mere School has a parents room - prospective parents can go along and speak to existing parents to get an inside view. I'd suggest your friend arranges a visit to the school and hears what other parents have to say first hand.
I hope that helps - feel free to ask me any other questions!