Church Hill Church of England Junior School

Church Hill Church of England Junior School is a highly inclusive, caring and diverse junior school that performs strongly across all evaluated areas. This full section 5 inspection found achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing all at the strong standard, with safeguarding standards met. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, achieve consistently well; disadvantaged pupils are above national averages in writing and significantly above in mathematics. Attendance is strong, persistent absence is below national averages, and behaviour is exemplary. The school benefits from highly effective leadership and governance within its single academy trust. Leaders know the community well, monitor provision closely, and adapt support swiftly, especially for vulnerable pupils and those with SEND. Staff feel well supported, parents value communication, and pastoral care is exceptionally strong. Pupils are proud of the school's diversity and feel safe and respected. The report identifies no significant weaknesses or underperformance. Its next step is to continue strengthening curriculum implementation so that teaching reaches exceptional standards and has a transformational impact on all pupils, particularly the most able and pupils with SEND.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive provision for disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and vulnerable pupils.
• Consistently strong achievement, with disadvantaged pupils above national averages in writing and mathematics.
• Strong progress from starting points across academic and developmental outcomes.
• Highly strategic attendance work; persistent absence is below national averages.
• Exemplary pupil behaviour, politeness, self-discipline and care for others.
• Broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum that builds knowledge securely over time.
• Consistently effective teaching with rigorous checking and careful adaptation for SEND.
• Expert leadership oversight of provision, with swift adjustment to support.
• Strong governance providing support and robust challenge.
• Staff feel well supported, with workload, wellbeing and work-life balance protected.
• Carefully planned PSHE and personal development that reflects local risks and contexts.
• Rich musical, extracurricular and leadership opportunities for all pupils.
• Exceptionally strong pastoral care; pupils feel safe and know trusted adults.
• Safeguarding standards met within an open and positive culture.
• Pupils celebrate diversity and show respect for different cultures, faiths and beliefs.

Areas for Improvement

• Continue to strengthen curriculum implementation so teaching reaches exceptional standards and has a transformational impact on all pupils, particularly the most able and pupils with SEND.

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 Church Hill Church of England Junior School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.0% 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, 1.9% of pupils at Church Hill Church of England Junior 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 Church Hill Church of England Junior School had 22.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.0% 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, 16.8% of pupils at Church Hill Church of England Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.5% 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 Church Hill Church of England Junior School received £7,174 and spent £6,664 for each of its 259 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £561,000 (£2,166 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.

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What is Church Hill Church of England Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Church Hill Church of England Junior School is Strong standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Church Hill Church of England Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Church Hill Church of England Junior School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Church Hill Church of England Junior School have?

Church Hill Church of England Junior School has 238 pupils on roll.

What age range does Church Hill Church of England Junior School cover?

Church Hill Church of England Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Church Hill Church of England Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Church Hill Church of England Junior School?

Church Hill Church of England Junior School is at Church Hill Road, Thurmaston, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 8DE.