Dovelands Primary School

Dovelands Primary School is a large, diverse primary school that is performing at the expected standard across all inspected areas, and safeguarding standards are met. Leaders, governors and staff share a clear determination to provide the best for all pupils, and they have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and development priorities. The school has a strong community and family feel, with pupils saying that everyone is welcome and that they feel safe, cared for and known. The early years provision is a notable strength: children settle quickly, routines are clear, and learning environments promote curiosity and belonging. Pupils behave well, inclusion is effective, and pastoral support helps pupils with barriers to learning or wellbeing. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, phonics is taught well, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported appropriately. Attendance is generally close to or better than national averages, and leaders act quickly when it begins to fall. There are still areas to develop. The proportion of pupils working at a higher standard in writing is below the national average, although leaders have taken action. Teaching and pupil achievement are not yet consistently strong across all wider curriculum subjects, and some disadvantaged pupils need to attend school more often. Overall, this is a school with many strengths and a clear, credible plan for further improvement.

Strengths

• Early years provision gives children a strong start and quickly builds a sense of belonging.
• Pupils behave well, show positive attitudes to learning and treat each other with respect.
• Pastoral support is a significant strength and helps pupils overcome barriers to learning and wellbeing.
• Inclusion is effective, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Leaders have developed a broad and ambitious curriculum with a clear focus on vocabulary.
• Phonics is taught well, helping pupils read with accuracy and fluency.
• Leaders, governors and staff share a strong determination to improve the school.
• Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive for professional development and wellbeing.
• Personal development is coherent and includes a wide range of enrichment opportunities.
• The school has a strong community and family feel, with positive relationships between staff, pupils and parents.

Areas for Improvement

• The proportion of pupils working at a higher standard in writing is below the national average.
• Teaching and pupil achievement are inconsistent in a small minority of wider curriculum subjects.
• Some disadvantaged pupils’ attendance remains too low and needs further improvement.

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 Dovelands Primary School attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.7% 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, 1.1% of pupils at Dovelands 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 Dovelands Primary School had 24.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.6% 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, 15.0% of pupils at Dovelands Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.1% 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 Dovelands Primary School received £6,523 and spent £6,896 for each of its 529 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £153,000 (£290 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 Dovelands Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Dovelands Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Dovelands Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Dovelands Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Dovelands Primary School have?

Dovelands Primary School has 534 pupils on roll.

What age range does Dovelands Primary School cover?

Dovelands Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Dovelands Primary School?

Dovelands Primary School is at Hinckley Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE3 0TJ.