Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School

Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School is a highly aspirational community primary where pupils achieve well across a rich, ambitious curriculum. Inspectors found exceptional strength in pupils’ behaviour, personal development, leadership and the quality of education, with children getting off to a strong start in the early years. Pupils are happy, safe and proud of their nurturing school, and those with SEND are particularly well supported and achieve very well. Reading and phonics are a major strength: children begin immediately in Reception, staff identify those at risk quickly, and tailored support helps them catch up. Staff subject knowledge is very strong, teaching is precise, and pupils use reflection and vocabulary work effectively to embed learning. The personal development offer is exceptional, including wide extra-curricular and outdoor learning, and staff well-being and workload are carefully considered. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is early years outdoor provision, which does not consistently match the ambition of classroom activities or cover all seven areas of learning, limiting some children’s opportunities to embed knowledge and skills. This was a graded inspection under the current framework, so no overall effectiveness grade was awarded; the previous inspection grade was good.

Strengths

• Rich, highly ambitious curriculum across all areas
• Rapid and expert phonics teaching with effective catch-up support
• Strong reading culture and love of reading for pleasure
• Pupils with SEND well supported and achieving high-quality work
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and mature commitment to learning
• Exceptional personal development and extra-curricular offer
• Strong leadership and management with positive staff culture
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Governors fulfil statutory duties and are knowledgeable
• Parents and carers are highly positive about the school
• Children get off to a strong start in early years
• High-quality staff training and coaching

Areas for Improvement

• Early years outdoor provision lacks ambition and does not consistently cover all seven areas of learning
• Some children have fewer opportunities to embed knowledge and skills outdoors

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.0% of pupils at Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School had 23.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 10.0% of pupils at Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School received £6,681 and spent £7,453 for each of its 329 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £879,000 (-£2,672 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School have?

Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School has 329 pupils on roll.

What age range does Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School cover?

Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 48% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School?

Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School is at Hospital Lane, Blaby, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE8 4FE.