Babington Academy

Babington Academy has received its first inspection since becoming an academy, and overall, it has been rated as good. The school offers a supportive and inclusive environment, where pupils are engaged and adhere to the school’s values. The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, catering to the needs of its pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Although some exam results have been low, current pupils are performing well, indicating effective teaching practices in many areas. However, there are concerns regarding a small number of pupils who struggle with behavior, which can sometimes disrupt the learning of others.

Strengths

• Positive and inclusive school environment.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum.
• Strong support for pupils with SEND.
• Wide range of extra-curricular opportunities.
• Effective safeguarding measures in place.
• Strong relationships between staff and students.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers move pupils to new learning too quickly.
• A small number of pupils do not consistently behave well.

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 Babington Academy attended 88.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 30.3% 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 Babington Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 Babington Academy had 15.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.2% 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, 17.8% of pupils at Babington Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has a SEN unit with 25 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 Babington Academy received £9,364 and spent £9,115 for each of its 1,349 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,759,000 (£1,304 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Learning Without Limits Academy Trust, income was £9,074 and spending £9,110 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

Babington Academy is part of Learning Without Limits Academy Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Woodstock Primary Academy Leicester
• Heatherbrook Primary Academy Leicester
• Lancaster Academy Leicester
• South Wigston High School Wigston

What is Babington Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Babington Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Babington Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Babington Academy was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Babington Academy have?

Babington Academy has 1,339 pupils on roll.

What age range does Babington Academy cover?

Babington Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Babington Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 36.1, and 27% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Babington Academy?

Babington Academy is at Strasbourg Drive, Beaumont Leys, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 0SZ.