Slater Primary School

Slater Primary School is a welcoming, diverse school where pupils feel safe and proud to belong. Inspectors found strong provision in the early years and for pupils’ personal development and wellbeing: children get off to a positive start, and pupils learn about healthy relationships, safety, British values and respect for different faiths and cultures. Safeguarding standards are met. The school has had significant leadership turbulence since its last inspection, but the new headteacher, who took up post in February 2025, has settled the school and begun a focused improvement journey, supported by governors. However, several important areas need attention. Pupils with SEND do not make suitable progress because their needs are not identified and assessed quickly or accurately enough, and staff lack the expertise to adapt teaching consistently. Phonics screening attainment in Year 1 is consistently below national averages, older pupils’ reading attainment has declined over time, and progress varies too much across year groups. Attendance, especially persistent absence for disadvantaged pupils, remains well above national averages, although recent actions are beginning to improve it. Behaviour is not consistently calm and orderly because expectations and support are applied unevenly, particularly at unstructured times. Teaching is not consistently effective: staff do not always use pupils’ starting points or check understanding well enough to identify gaps and provide challenge. Leaders are improving the curriculum, especially reading, phonics, writing and mathematics, but some changes are not yet fully embedded. Leadership oversight, monitoring and evaluation are not sharp enough, and staff do not always receive the communication, support or professional learning they need. The school has strengths to build on, but leaders must sustain and embed improvements so all pupils, especially those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, achieve consistently well.

Strengths

• Early years curriculum is ambitious and well-considered, supporting children’s development across all areas.
• Expert phonics teaching in early years helps children read and write with confidence.
• Children develop secure early number and counting knowledge.
• Staff effectively support language and communication, including when speech is a barrier.
• Early years routines build children’s social, emotional and independence skills.
• Personal, social, health and economic education is taught effectively, and pupils discuss mature topics.
• Pupils learn how to stay safe locally and online and understand healthy relationships and mental health.
• Pupils develop respect for diversity, faiths and fundamental British values.
• Pupils are proud of their school community, and new pupils are helped to settle quickly.
• Effective pastoral support helps pupils facing instability or new to English.
• Pupils enjoy memorable experiences, trips, clubs and leadership roles.
• Pupils feel safe; bullying, aggression and racism are uncommon and dealt with effectively.
• Governors fulfil statutory duties and hold leaders to account.
• Parents speak appreciatively of the school and recent improvements.
• Recent improvements in reading, phonics, writing and mathematics are beginning to have a positive impact.
• Attendance is beginning to improve through more robust leaders’ actions.
• The curriculum has a clear focus on knowledge and vocabulary, supporting pupils new to English.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils with SEND do not make suitable progress from their starting points.
• SEND needs are not identified and assessed quickly or accurately enough.
• Staff lack expertise to adapt teaching effectively for pupils with SEND.
• Year 1 phonics screening attainment is consistently below national averages.
• Older pupils’ reading attainment has declined over time, including for disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils’ fluency with number and multiplication is not consistently secure.
• Progress is too variable across stages, leaving some pupils underprepared.
• Teaching does not consistently account for pupils’ needs or starting points.
• Teachers’ checks on understanding are not thorough enough to target support or challenge.
• Pupils’ absence and persistent absence are consistently above national averages, especially for disadvantaged pupils.
• Behaviour does not consistently meet high expectations, particularly at unstructured times.
• Some staff do not understand or apply the behaviour policy consistently.
• Some pupils needing bespoke emotional regulation support do not receive it consistently.
• Leaders do not monitor or evaluate school performance sharply enough.
• Staff report limited communication and support, and some lack needed professional development.
• Leaders do not check sufficiently whether additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is effective.
• Some pupils may not benefit equally from enrichment opportunities due to cultural or financial barriers.
• Recent curriculum and teaching improvements are not fully embedded across the school.

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 Slater Primary School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.3% 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 Slater 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 Slater Primary School had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 28.9% 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, 15.9% of pupils at Slater Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.0% 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 Slater Primary School received £7,669 and spent £7,494 for each of its 189 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £423,000 (-£2,238 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).

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What is Slater Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Slater Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in August 2026.

When was Slater Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Slater Primary School was last inspected in August 2026.

How many pupils does Slater Primary School have?

Slater Primary School has 189 pupils on roll.

What age range does Slater Primary School cover?

Slater Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Slater Primary School?

Slater Primary School is at Slater Street, Frog Island, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE3 5AS.