Ridgeway Primary Academy

Ridgeway Primary Academy is an improving school that has made strides under new leadership since August 2025. The school fosters a positive environment where pupils feel safe and enjoy attending. Attendance rates are effective, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs. However, while there are notable strengths in early years education, pupils' overall achievement has not consistently met expectations, especially in national tests. This has highlighted areas for further improvement in teaching and support, particularly for disadvantaged students and those with SEND. The school emphasizes personal development, equipping pupils with vital values and a sense of community. Pupils engage well in extracurricular activities, showcasing their talents. Nonetheless, there are concerns regarding the inconsistency of teaching quality and its impact on pupil achievement across the curriculum. Leaders acknowledge the need for better strategies to support teachers in adapting lessons to meet diverse pupil needs. Parents have mixed opinions about the school, particularly regarding support for special educational needs students, indicating an area for leaders to address as they continue to enhance partnerships with families.

Strengths

• Strong attendance promoted by effective leadership
• Positive support environment for managing pupil behavior
• Improved early years provision resulting in a smooth transition to Year 1
• Well-considered personal development program for pupils
• High staff morale and commitment to ongoing improvements

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent pupil achievement in national tests across the curriculum
• Variable quality of teaching impacting pupil learning
• Inconsistent support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Leaders lacking precise information about the quality of provision

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 Ridgeway Primary Academy attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.2% 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, 0.4% of pupils at Ridgeway Primary Academy 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 Ridgeway Primary Academy had 20.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 24.1% 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 Ridgeway Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.8% 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 2024–25 Ridgeway Primary Academy received £6,923 and spent £6,977 for each of its 253 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £212,000 (-£836 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of Learn Academies Trust, income was £6,955 and spending £6,849 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 Market Harborough · Leicestershire local authority: places and applications

Ridgeway Primary Academy is part of Learn Academies Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Great Bowden Academy, A Church of England Primary School Market Harborough
• Market Harborough Church of England Academy Market Harborough
• Meadowdale Primary School Market Harborough
• Lubenham All Saints Church of England Primary School Market Harborough
• Church Langton Church of England Primary School Market Harborough
• Husbands Bosworth Church of England Primary School Lutterworth
• St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, North Kilworth Lutterworth
• South Kilworth Church of England Primary School Lutterworth
• Houghton-on-the-Hill Church of England Primary School Leicester
• All Saints Church of England Primary School Wigston

What is Ridgeway Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ridgeway Primary Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Ridgeway Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Ridgeway Primary Academy was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Ridgeway Primary Academy have?

Ridgeway Primary Academy has 234 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ridgeway Primary Academy cover?

Ridgeway Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Ridgeway Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ridgeway Primary Academy?

Ridgeway Primary Academy is at The Ridgeway, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 7HQ.