Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy

Holy Cross Catholic School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across all domains. The school fosters a positive atmosphere where pupils are happy, safe, and feel supported by their teachers. Leaders have made significant improvements in both behavior and the curriculum, promoting a culture of mutual respect and personal development. Despite these strengths, the school faced challenges as a notable number of Year 6 pupils did not meet the expected standards in key subjects last year, although progress has shown improvement since then.

Strengths

• Pupils feel happy, safe, and proud of their school.
• Leaders have improved pupils' behavior effectively.
• The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum.
• Teachers provide targeted support for pupils with SEND.
• Pupils develop a love for reading with daily story sessions.
• The early years curriculum supports high-quality learning.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' comprehension and inference skills are not developed quickly.
• A significant number of pupils do not work at the expected standards for their age.

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 Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.5% 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, 1.8% of pupils at Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary 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 Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 36.0% of pupils at Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.9% 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 Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy received £9,012 and spent £8,878 for each of its 213 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £247,000 (£1,159 per pupil).

Across all 23 schools of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,145 and spending £7,245 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

Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy is part of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:

• St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy Leicester
• Saint John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy, Wigston, Leicestershire Wigston
• Christ the King Catholic Voluntary Academy Leicester
• Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy Leicester
• St Paul's Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy Leicester
• English Martyrs' Catholic School, A Voluntary Academy Leicester
• Saint Patrick's Catholic Voluntary Academy Leicester
• St Joseph's Catholic Academy Leicester
• Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy Leicester
• Saint Peters Catholic Voluntary Academy

What is Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy have?

Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy has 203 pupils on roll.

What age range does Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy cover?

Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 45% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy?

Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy is at Stonesby Avenue, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE2 6TY.