Rushey Mead Academy

Rushey Mead Academy is a very large, inclusive secondary school that is performing exceptionally well. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve highly, with published key stage 4 outcomes significantly above national averages over time and strong progress. Attendance is excellent, behaviour is exemplary, and pupils feel safe and valued. The school serves a relatively deprived area, has a below-average proportion of pupils with SEND, and includes a SEN unit for communication and interaction needs. The curriculum is highly ambitious and delivered expertly, with strong support for pupils who have gaps in literacy or numeracy, speak English as an additional language, or have SEND. Inclusion is a major strength: pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils, and vulnerable pupils are supported precisely, including through a specialist unit and well-considered alternative provision. Leaders, staff, and the multi-academy trust work in close partnership, and governance provides robust challenge and support. Personal development is excellent. The Rushey Passport, wide extra-curricular offer, careers programme, and focus on wellbeing help pupils build character and prepare for ambitious next steps. Parents are highly supportive, and pupils are proud to be part of the school community. Inspectors identified no areas of concern or required improvements; safeguarding standards are met.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve extremely well across the curriculum, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Published key stage 4 outcomes are significantly above national averages over time.
• Pupils with gaps in basic literacy or numeracy catch up quickly and successfully access the wider curriculum.
• Pupils with SEND make very good progress and are well supported in the classroom and specialist provision.
• Attendance is excellent, with absence and persistent absence well below national averages.
• Behaviour is exemplary, with calm routines, respectful relationships and no disruption to learning.
• The curriculum is highly ambitious, well sequenced and taught expertly across all subjects.
• Teachers model knowledge clearly, check understanding carefully and address misconceptions quickly.
• Inclusion is exceptionally strong, with precise support for disadvantaged, SEND, EAL and vulnerable pupils.
• Leaders and the multi-academy trust provide strategic direction, high-quality professional development and strong governance.
• The Rushey Passport and extensive extra-curricular programme develop character, confidence and community involvement.
• Personal development, careers guidance and wellbeing support prepare pupils well for adulthood.

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 Rushey Mead Academy attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 16.1% 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, 3.2% of pupils at Rushey Mead Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 Rushey Mead Academy had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.2% 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, 10.4% of pupils at Rushey Mead Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has a SEN unit with 3 pupils.

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 Rushey Mead Academy received £10,723 and spent £9,299 for each of its 1,782 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,685,000 (£946 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of The Mead Educational Trust, income was £8,481 and spending £7,789 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 Leicester · Leicester local authority: places and applications

Rushey Mead Academy is part of The Mead Educational Trust, which runs 16 schools. The nearest others:

• Abbey Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• North Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Fosse Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Kestrel Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Rowlatts Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Brook Mead Academy Leicester
• Castle Mead Academy Leicester
• Orchard Mead Academy Leicester
• Netherhall Mead Academy Leicester
• Thurnby Mead Primary Academy Leicester

What is Rushey Mead Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rushey Mead Academy is Exceptional, from an inspection in August 2026.

When was Rushey Mead Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Rushey Mead Academy was last inspected in August 2026.

How many pupils does Rushey Mead Academy have?

Rushey Mead Academy has 1,804 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rushey Mead Academy cover?

Rushey Mead Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Rushey Mead Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 56.8, and 62% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Rushey Mead Academy?

Rushey Mead Academy is at Melton Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 7AN.