Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy

Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy, inspected for the first time under the current framework, has been rated as 'Good' overall. The school places a strong emphasis on creating an inclusive and nurturing environment where pupils, including those with special educational needs and disadvantaged backgrounds, can thrive. With a clear focus on the 'Willowbrook Way', the school promotes values such as kindness and responsibility, resulting in positive behaviour and attitudes among pupils. However, while pupils demonstrate enthusiasm and engagement in lessons, there are shortcomings in their ability to recall previously learned content, which can hinder their long-term understanding and knowledge retention.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate a clear understanding of school values.
• Staff provide a nurturing environment that supports emotional well-being.
• High expectations for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Effective systems for managing behaviour and attendance.
• A wide variety of extra-curricular opportunities available to pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent recall of previously taught knowledge in some subjects.
• Incomplete implementation of phonics programme strategies by staff.

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 Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.0% 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, 2.6% of pupils at Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy 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 Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy had 25.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.7% 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, 14.4% of pupils at Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 12 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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy received £7,607 and spent £7,131 for each of its 443 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £419,000 (£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

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

• Thurnby Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Oaklands Mead Academy Leicester
• Netherhall Mead Academy Leicester
• Orchard Mead Academy Leicester
• Kestrel Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Rowlatts Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• North Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Rushey Mead Academy Leicester
• Abbey Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Knighton Mead Primary Academy Leicester

What is Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy have?

Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy has 436 pupils on roll.

What age range does Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy cover?

Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy?

Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy is at Roborough Green, Thurnby Lodge, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 2NA.