Rolleston Primary School

Rolleston Primary School is a larger-than-average primary school in a deprived area, with a well-above-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. Safeguarding standards are met. The inspection found strong provision in early years and inclusion, where children and pupils are well supported, barriers to learning are reduced swiftly, and disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND, those known to social care and those who speak English as an additional language learn successfully alongside their peers. The early years environment is purposeful and well resourced, and Rory's room provides bespoke support that helps pupils with SEND make notable progress. Attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing are all at the expected standard. Leaders know the school well, governors provide effective support and challenge, and staff feel valued. Pupils behave well, feel safe, and benefit from a strong pastoral offer and enrichment opportunities. However, achievement needs attention. Outcomes at the end of key stage 2 have been below average over time in reading, writing and mathematics combined, and pupils' progress through the wider curriculum is variable. Teaching is not consistently effective across all subjects and year groups, and some activities do not prepare pupils well for the next stage of learning. The report identifies clear next steps: leaders should ensure the curriculum is taught effectively in all subjects and year groups, continue improving achievement through highly effective teaching, and deepen pupils' understanding of different cultures, world faiths and fundamental British values. There are promising signs in writing and early reading, including phonics outcomes in line with national averages, but further work is needed to secure consistently strong outcomes across the school.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
• Early years provision is extensive, well resourced and purposeful.
• Children in early years build warm relationships with staff, feel safe and make secure progress.
• Effective routines in early years promote children's independence and prepare them well for Year 1.
• Inclusion is a strong standard, with pupils' individual needs identified and assessed swiftly.
• Disadvantaged pupils, EAL pupils, those known to social care and pupils with SEND learn successfully alongside their peers.
• Rory's room provides bespoke programmes that help pupils with SEND make notable progress.
• Additional funding is well targeted to reduce barriers to learning.
• Leaders track attendance carefully and provide practical support to pupils and families.
• Staff have consistently high expectations of behaviour and pupils behave well overall.
• Pupils are confident that bullying is not tolerated and leaders deal with rare issues effectively.
• The curriculum is sequenced from early years to Year 6 and focuses on vocabulary and communication.
• Teaching of reading, writing and mathematics has improved, with gaps identified and support provided swiftly.
• Leaders have a detailed understanding of teaching quality and provide appropriate professional development.
• Governors support and challenge school leaders effectively and fulfil their statutory duties.
• Staff feel valued and respected, and leaders are mindful of their wellbeing and workload.
• The personal development programme is tailored to the school's context and includes strong pastoral support.
• Pupils take part in enrichment activities and valued leadership roles such as champions of change.
• There is a strong sense of community, and pupils show kindness to one another.
• Leaders share good practice beyond the school, including in tracking vulnerable groups.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement needs attention, with key stage 2 outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics combined below average over time.
• Pupils' progress through the wider curriculum is variable, and some pupils' learning in wider subjects is not secure.
• Teaching activities do not consistently prepare pupils well for the next stage of learning.
• The curriculum is not taught effectively in all subjects and year groups.
• Pupils' knowledge of fundamental British values, such as democracy and the rule of law, is less secure.
• Pupils' recall of knowledge about different faiths and cultures is limited.
• Reading and mathematics achievement has been inconsistent over time and remains below national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils' gaps remain in reading and mathematics, particularly in mathematics.
• Persistent absence is above the national average, although overall attendance is close to average and improving.
• There is further work to do to improve outcomes at the end of key stage 2.

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 Rolleston Primary School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.8% 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, 1.2% of pupils at Rolleston Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Rolleston Primary School had 18.0 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, 12.8% of pupils at Rolleston 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 Rolleston Primary School received £8,040 and spent £8,355 for each of its 389 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £139,000 (£356 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 Rolleston Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Rolleston Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Rolleston Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Rolleston Primary School have?

Rolleston Primary School has 397 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rolleston Primary School cover?

Rolleston Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 42% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Rolleston Primary School?

Rolleston Primary School is at Hillsborough Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE2 9PT.