Humphrey Perkins School

Humphrey Perkins School is a good school overall, with all four key judgements judged good and safeguarding effective. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and follows several leadership changes; it is part of Lionheart Educational Trust and, because this was a graded inspection from September 2024, no overall effectiveness grade was given. Leaders have high expectations and have built an ambitious, well-planned curriculum, with a large proportion of pupils studying English Baccalaureate subjects at GCSE. Pupils typically enjoy learning, behave well and benefit from a calm, orderly and safe environment. Reading is a priority, pupils with SEND are well supported, and a wide range of enrichment and careers activities helps to build confidence and inform next steps. Recent teaching improvements are having a positive impact. However, published academic outcomes in 2024 did not match the school's positive pastoral offer, although leaders say the improvements have not been in place long enough to be reflected in the data. Some lessons do not consistently check and adapt to pupils' understanding, personal development is not fully embedded, some pupils' understanding of fundamental British values is not secure and a few pupils do not show consistent respect for their peers. Some temporary staff also do not apply the school's behaviour expectations consistently, which occasionally disrupts learning.

Strengths

• High expectations for all pupils and an ambitious, well-planned curriculum
• Strong uptake of English Baccalaureate subjects at GCSE
• Teaching initiatives are improving how staff check understanding and fill knowledge gaps
• Curriculum topics build clearly and teachers present new ideas clearly
• Pupils with SEND are well supported and learning is adapted to their needs
• Reading is a priority, with targeted support for weaker readers and challenging texts
• Pupils typically enjoy learning, behave well and benefit from a calm, orderly and safe environment
• A wide range of enrichment, performing arts and Duke of Edinburgh opportunities builds confidence
• A well-designed PSHE and careers programme helps pupils make informed next-step decisions
• The trust and school work together effectively, and staff value attention to workload and well-being

Areas for Improvement

• Published academic outcomes in 2024 did not match pupils' positive pastoral experience
• Lesson checks and adaptations are sometimes inconsistent, allowing gaps in pupils' knowledge to persist
• Personal development is not consistently embedded, and some pupils' understanding of fundamental British values is not secure
• A few pupils do not show consistent respect for their peers
• Some temporary staff do not routinely apply the school's behaviour expectations, causing disruption in some lessons
• Some staff have differing expectations and do not apply the behaviour policy consistently

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 Humphrey Perkins School attended 92.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 8.2% of pupils at Humphrey Perkins School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Humphrey Perkins School had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 16.9% of pupils at Humphrey Perkins School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Humphrey Perkins School received £7,326 and spent £7,331 for each of its 845 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,292,000 (£1,529 per pupil).

Across all 16 schools of Lionheart Educational Trust, income was £7,656 and spending £7,419 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Loughborough · Leicestershire local authority: places and applications

Humphrey Perkins School is part of Lionheart Educational Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• Hallam Fields, Birstall Leicester
• The Cedars Academy Leicester
• Highcliffe Primary School and Community Centre Leicester
• The Martin High School Anstey Leicester
• Riverside Community Primary School Birstall Leicester
• The Castle Rock School Coalville
• Broom Leys School Coalville
• Beauchamp City Sixth Form Leicester
• Greenstone Primary School Coalville
• The Newbridge School Coalville

What is Humphrey Perkins School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Humphrey Perkins School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Humphrey Perkins School last inspected by Ofsted?

Humphrey Perkins School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Humphrey Perkins School have?

Humphrey Perkins School has 863 pupils on roll.

What age range does Humphrey Perkins School cover?

Humphrey Perkins School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Humphrey Perkins School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.5, and 41% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Humphrey Perkins School?

Humphrey Perkins School is at Cotes Road, Barrow-upon-Soar, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 8JU.