The last Leicestershire primary schools to be rated 'Outstanding' amid Ofsted changes

Tess Rushin & Richard Ault, Reach Data Unit

8 September 2024 at 5:41 am·4-min read

Primary school children sat around tables doing school work (stock image) — -Credit: (Image: Getty Images)

Five Leicestershire and two Leicester schools rated 'Outstanding' following inspections in the last school year will be the final ones ever to achieve that distinction. No more schools will ever be rated Outstanding following an overhaul of the grading system by Ofsted.

Overall, 18 of 226 schools inspected in Leicestershire (8 per cent) and 7 of 82 schools in Leicester (9 per cent) were graded Outstanding at their last inspection, with some of those taking place more than ten years ago. The practice of issuing an overall one or two-word grade - either Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, or Inadequate - has been scrapped with immediate effect.

Ofsted will continue to inspect schools, but will now only issue gradings related to individual aspects of a school’s performance. The next time an Outstanding school is inspected, it is guaranteed to lose its rating as the changes come into effect.

The changes were made after Ofsted research found that fewer than four in ten parents, and three in 10 teachers support one-word judgements. The seven schools rated Outstanding over the past year are listed below, followed by the inspections that resulted in an Outstanding rating that took place prior to the last school year.

Leicestershire's Outstanding Primary Schools

Inspections during the last school year:

Woodhouse Eaves St Paul's Church of England Primary School, Leicestershire - 13/9/2023

Brocks Hill Primary School, Leicestershire - 03/10/2023

Humberstone Junior School, Leicester - 31/10/2023

Kibworth Church of England Primary School, Leicestershire - 08/11/2023

Stathern Primary School, Leicestershire - 14/11/2023

Abbey Mead Primary Academy, Leicester - 05/3/2024

Ashby Hill Top Primary School, Leicestershire - 16/4/2024

Inspections earlier than September 2023

Charnwood Primary School, Leicester - 18/3/2009

The Pastures Primary School, Leicestershire - 13/10/2011

Barwell Church of England Academy, Leicestershire - 26/6/2012

Booth Wood Primary School, Leicestershire - 12/12/2012

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bitteswell, Leicestershire - 17/4/2013

Woodland Grange Primary School, Leicestershire - 17/4/2013

Highfields Primary School, Leicester - 26/9/2013

Westfield Infant School, Leicestershire - 12/2/2014

The Pochin School, Leicestershire - 29/4/2014

Newcroft Primary Academy, Leicestershire - 09/9/2014

Great Bowden Academy, A Church of England Primary School, Leicestershire - 10/9/2014

Great Dalby School, Leicestershire - 11/9/2014

Parks Primary School, Leicester - 13/11/2014

Christ the King Catholic Voluntary Academy, Leicester - 13/11/2014

Lady Jane Grey Primary School, Leicestershire - 25/2/2015

Glenmere Community Primary School, Leicestershire - 10/6/2015

Burton-on-the-Wolds Primary School, Leicestershire - 14/11/2018

Catherine Infant School, Leicester - 19/11/2019

You can see the primary schools near you that were rated Outstanding at their last inspection using our interactive map.

For future inspections this academic year, parents will see grades across the following areas - quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Ofsted will continue to inspect schools against the same standards, but will now only issue gradings related to individual aspects of a school's performance.

Then from September 2025, 'School Report Cards' will be introduced. The exact content of the report cards is not yet clear, but the Department for Education says they “will provide parents with a complete picture of how schools are performing”.

The changes come after several years of debate within education about whether one overall grade can sum up the complexity of a school. That debate intensified after an inquest in 2023 found an inspection contributed to the death of head teacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life after learning her school was set to be graded Inadequate.

Ofsted Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, said: “The tragic death of Ruth Perry was a catalyst for this change, but the case for change has been building for years.

“We recognise the growing challenges facing education and social care, particularly since the pandemic. We don’t want to add to this pressure. Many of the changes we are introducing are aimed at reducing the pressure on those we inspect.

“We will always strive for higher standards for children, particularly the most vulnerable children. We share that aim with thousands of brilliant people working in education and social care. We are determined to win back their trust and work together in the interests of children and learners.”

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Leicestershire's Outstanding Primary Schools

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