Uplands Infant School

Uplands Infant School demonstrates a solid performance, attaining good ratings across all domains. The school nurtures a supportive and welcoming environment, fostering a sense of happiness and safety among pupils. With a commendable curriculum focusing on language and skills, the school addresses the needs of pupils, including those with English as an additional language and special educational needs. There are early signs of improvement in reading outcomes due to strategic changes being implemented in teaching methods. This inspection marks the school's first assessment since becoming an academy in 2019, and it reflects a commitment to quality education within the context of the Attenborough Learning Trust. Despite these strengths, the school is aware of challenges, particularly with the consistency of reading instruction across classes and the need to enhance outdoor learning provisions for early years. Leaders are actively working on these areas to ensure that all pupils receive the necessary support for their educational development. The positive involvement of parents and the strong support from the governing body further contribute to a conducive learning environment, making the school a commendable institution within the local community.

Strengths

• Strong commitment to providing a happy, warm and caring environment.
• Effective support for pupils who speak little or no English.
• Ambitious curriculum designed to develop well-rounded individuals.
• Strong provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Positive behaviour and attitudes among pupils.
• Wide range of extra-curricular activities fostering personal development.
• Effective safeguarding measures in place.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in the implementation of reading strategies across classes.
• Outdoor learning environment does not match the quality of indoor provision.

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 Uplands Infant School attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.5% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Uplands Infant School 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 Uplands Infant School had 22.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.1% 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, 15.1% of pupils at Uplands Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% 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 Uplands Infant School received £6,542 and spent £6,535 for each of its 364 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £359,000 (£985 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Attenborough Learning Trust, income was £6,814 and spending £6,613 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

Uplands Infant School is part of Attenborough Learning Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Highfields Primary School Leicester
• Sparkenhoe Community Primary School Leicester
• Charnwood Primary School Leicester
• Shenton Primary School Leicester
• Bridge Junior School Leicester
• Green Lane Infant School Leicester
• Inglehurst Infant School Leicester
• Buswells Lodge Primary School Leicester

What is Uplands Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Uplands Infant School is Good, from an inspection in December 2022.

When was Uplands Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Uplands Infant School was last inspected in December 2022.

How many pupils does Uplands Infant School have?

Uplands Infant School has 436 pupils on roll.

What age range does Uplands Infant School cover?

Uplands Infant School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is Uplands Infant School?

Uplands Infant School is at Melbourne Road, Highfields, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE2 0DR.