The 8 secondary schools rated 'outstanding' in Leicester and Leicestershire according to Ofsted

Leicester and Leicestershire have eight secondary schools rated outstanding by Ofsted, but some of them have not been rated for a decade.

LeicestershireLive has put together a list of the highest ranking schools across the city and county as of Friday May 10, 2024. Schools feature in catchment areas, including Loughborough, Oadby and Leicester.

Ofsted publishes the results of its inspections, which can help people to decide where they'd like to enrol their children. The quality of teaching and learning, children's behaviour, welfare and personal development, as well as outcomes, are assessed by the watchdog's inspectors.

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In 2012, the government made outstanding schools exempt from inspection, unless there were concerns about the school. The exemption was in place for eight years until 2020. This means that currently, some schools will still have a rating that has been in place for a decade or more.

Brook Mead Academy

The school, based on St. Augustine Road, Leicester was rated as outstanding in March 2024. The school caters for 11 to 16-year-olds and had 606 pupils on roll during the inspection.

Inspectors said: "The school has unquestionably high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and conduct. Routines are clear, consistent and commonly understood. Pupils’ learning is free from disruption. Every moment of lesson time is purely devoted to learning."

Brookvale Groby Learning Campus

Brookvale Groby Learning Campus, based on Ratby Road, Groby was rated as outstanding in February 2014. The school caters for 11 to 14-year-olds and had 640 pupils on roll during the inspection.

Inspectors said: "The quality of teaching is outstanding, so students make rapid progress. There is a buzz of activity in lessons, and teachers show that they have high expectations of all students."

Castle Mead Academy

Castle Mead Academy, based on Richard III Road in Leicester, was rated as outstanding in October 2023. The school caters for 11 to 16-year-olds and had 1,224 pupils on roll during the inspection.

Inspectors said: "Pupils excel at Castle Mead due to the school’s extremely high expectations of them. The behaviour of pupils is exemplary. There is a consistently calm learning environment at this school. Pupils highly value that the environment enables their learning. The school does not tolerate bullying and discriminatory language. On the rare occasion that there is a bullying incident, the school takes effective action. Consequently, pupils feel happy and safe here."

Gartree High School

Gartree High School, based on Ridge Way, Oadby, was rated as outstanding in February 2015. The school caters for 10 to 14-year-olds and had 774 pupils on roll during the inspection.

Inspectors said: "Gartree is a highly effective school. When pupils leave at the end of Year 9, they are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education."

Rushey Mead Academy

Rushey Mead Academy, based on Melton Road in Leicester, was rated as outstanding in May 2022. The school caters for 11 to 16-year-olds and had 1733 pupils on roll during the inspection.

Inspectors said: "The behaviour of pupils is exemplary. They display the ‘Rushey 1-2-3’ to be kind, work hard and develop their whole self at all times. They show high levels of respect for each other and adults. Many pupils give their time to making sure that the school is a better place. Bullying is not tolerated at the school. Pupils say that on the rare occasions it happens, staff act quickly to resolve any issues."

Sir Jonathan North Girls' College

Sir Jonathan North Girls' College, based on Knighton Lane East in Leicester, was rated as outstanding in October 2013. The school caters for 11 to 16-year-olds and had 1186 pupils on roll during the inspection.

Inspectors said: "The quality of teaching is outstanding across all subjects; staff have exceptionally high expectations and aspirations for what students can achieve."

Soar Valley

Soar Valley College, based on Gleneagles Avenue, Leicester, was rated as outstanding in November 2014. The school caters for 11 to 16-year-olds and had 1,275 pupils on roll during the inspection.

Inspectors said: "Leaders have successfully created a culture where learning is celebrated by both staff and students. Teachers’ knowledge and skills are developed at all levels. Subsequently, this has an exceptionally positive impact on students’ behaviour and attitudes to learning and their achievement."

The Market Bosworth

The Market Bosworth, based on Station road, Market Bosworth, was rated as outstanding in May 2012. The school caters for 11 to 14-year-olds and had 656 pupils on roll during the inspection.

Inspectors said: "The academy promotes the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students outstandingly well. The academy is a highly cohesive community. A range of trips and events supplement cultural development in art, music and drama and add to the awareness of other cultures. Rich opportunities are taken within the curriculum to broaden students’ horizons and these are supplemented by wide extra-curricular opportunities."

Ofsted has outlined when inspections will take place for previously exempt (outstanding) schools. The watchdog has said if the last inspections took place before September 2011, the next graded inspection will have taken place by January 2024. If the previous inspection was between September 2011 and July 2013, the next graded inspection will be before January 2025, and if the last inspection date was between September 2013 and July 2015, the next graded inspection will be before September 2025.

If the school inspection was after September 2015, then the next visit will be ungraded. The dates in the inspection body's website indicate that if the last visit was between September 2015 and July 2016, then the school will have had an ungraded inspection prior to January 2024. If the inspection was between September 2016 and July 2018, then the ungraded inspection will take place before January 2025, and if the inspection was between September 2018 – March 2020, the next ungraded inspection will be by July 2025.