Parks Primary School

Parks Primary School is an exceptional school where pupils flourish, feel happy and safe, and demonstrate exemplary behaviour and highly positive attitudes to learning. Inspectors found excellent provision across the curriculum, with high expectations, strong teaching, and particularly effective support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. Pupils build knowledge securely over time and are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education. The school's curriculum is highly ambitious and thoughtfully sequenced, with a distinctive focus on oracy from Nursery to Year 6 that strengthens learning across subjects. Reading and phonics are prioritised, early years foundations are strong, and personal development is impressive through a wide range of experiences, PSHE, and community opportunities. Leadership, governance, and staff teamwork are highly effective, and staff welfare is prioritised. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first since being exempt from routine inspection after a previous outstanding judgement. The school has maintained exceptionally high quality despite significant premises challenges, including two relocations in 18 months after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete was identified as a health and safety risk. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and the report identifies no areas of concern.

Strengths

• Pupils are welcoming, polite, happy, and safe, and they show kindness and respect.
• Behaviour and attitudes are exemplary, with pupils consistently meeting high expectations.
• The curriculum is highly ambitious and well sequenced for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Staff skilfully identify and meet the needs of pupils with SEND.
• Early years provision builds strong foundations for learning.
• A distinctive whole-school focus on oracy strengthens vocabulary, reading, writing, and learning across subjects.
• Staff have strong subject knowledge and provide high-quality, well-adapted learning experiences.
• Reading and phonics are prioritised, and pupils become confident, fluent readers.
• Personal development is impressive, with a wide range of trips, community projects, and PSHE opportunities.
• Pupils learn about fundamental British values and develop a strong understanding of right and wrong.
• Leaders and governors have created an ambitious culture and sustained high quality despite significant premises challenges.
• Staff welfare is prioritised, and highly effective teamwork supports continuous improvement.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

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 Parks Primary School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.7% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Parks 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 Parks Primary School had 19.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.4% 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, 13.9% of pupils at Parks Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 Parks Primary School received £7,875 and spent £7,664 for each of its 436 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £251,000 (£577 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

All schools in Leicester · Leicester local authority: places and applications

What is Parks Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Parks Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Parks Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Parks Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Parks Primary School have?

Parks Primary School has 453 pupils on roll.

What age range does Parks Primary School cover?

Parks Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Parks Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 85% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Parks Primary School?

Parks Primary School is at 1 Gillman Road, Leicester, LE3 9NS.