Heatherbrook Primary Academy

Heatherbrook Primary Academy is performing well overall since its last inspection, which rated it as requiring improvement. The school has made significant strides in the quality of education it offers, which includes a broad and ambitious curriculum designed to support all students, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Students enjoy a range of extracurricular activities and feel safe within the school environment. The recent establishment of a Nursery has been positively received by the community, contributing to a supportive starting point for children's education. While the school's leadership and management have strengthened, there are areas that require further attention, such as ensuring all leaders have clearly defined roles to enhance school improvement processes. Additionally, some students, particularly those with low attendance, face barriers to benefiting fully from the curriculum and enrichment opportunities provided. Overall, Heatherbrook Primary reflects a positive trajectory in its educational quality, but there are still challenges to address to maximize student outcomes.

Strengths

• Broad and ambitious curriculum
• High expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND
• Positive behavior and calm atmosphere around the school
• Engaging extracurricular activities available for students
• Effective support for pupils with SEND through tailored curricula

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistency in providing opportunities for pupils to deepen their learning
• Low attendance among some pupils, including disadvantaged students and those with SEND
• Lack of clarity in leadership roles and responsibilities affecting school improvement

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 Heatherbrook Primary Academy attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 29.2% 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, 8.0% of pupils at Heatherbrook 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 Heatherbrook Primary Academy had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.5% 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, 19.3% of pupils at Heatherbrook Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% 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 Heatherbrook Primary Academy received £7,125 and spent £9,555 for each of its 163 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £213,000 (£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

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

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

What is Heatherbrook Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Heatherbrook Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Heatherbrook Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Heatherbrook Primary Academy was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Heatherbrook Primary Academy have?

Heatherbrook Primary Academy has 150 pupils on roll.

What age range does Heatherbrook Primary Academy cover?

Heatherbrook Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Heatherbrook Primary Academy?

Heatherbrook Primary Academy is at Astill Lodge Road, Beaumont Leys, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 1BE.