Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy is an academy converter in Leicester for pupils aged 5 to 11. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It has 232 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2017 of its predecessor, Bishop Ellis Catholic Primary School. In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Ofsted inspection: June 2025. KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 5-11 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Barkby Thorpe Lane Thurmaston Leicester Leicestershire LE4 8GP |
| Phone | 01162695510 |
| Reference Number | 149144 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 232 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 54.31%
Girls: 45.69% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 14.7% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 14.2% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 29 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 27 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 30.2 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | 14 | 30 |
| 2 | 10 | 19 | 29 |
| 3 | 18 | 13 | 31 |
| 4 | 25 | 14 | 39 |
| 5 | 19 | 19 | 38 |
| 6 | 29 | 14 | 43 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 48.3% |
| Indian | 21.6% |
| White, Other | 6.5% |
| African | 6% |
| Mixed, Other | 5.2% |
| White & Asian | 3.9% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 3.4% |
| Asian, Other | 2.6% |
| Caribbean | 1.3% |
| Unclassified | 0.4% |
This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, Bishop Ellis Catholic Primary School, inspected in January 2017.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 20 May 2025 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 20 May 2025 | School inspection |
| 24 Jun 2022 | Academy conversion letter |
| 31 Jan 2017 | Short inspection |
| Previously as Bishop Ellis Catholic Primary School | |
| 28 Jun 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 06 May 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 05 Jul 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 26 Jun 2000 | Full inspection |
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 53% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 3% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 103 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 102 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -0.2 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | 2.3 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | -0.1 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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See how Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 22 | 2 |
| Third Preference | 19 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 9 | 2 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy had 242 pupils for 420 places. 178 places (42.4%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Thurmaston Primary” planning area
Leicestershire counted 138 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 155 in 2029–30, up 12%.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 350 | 420 | 420 |
| Pupils | 256 | 241 | 242 |
| Unfilled | 26.9% | 42.6% | 42.4% |
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 Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 4.4% | 3.9% | 4.0% |
| Unauthorised absence | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.9% | 0.5% | 0.9% |
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, 0.4% of pupils at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 1.8 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 1.7 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
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 Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy had 21.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 10.4 | 11.6 | 13.0 | 12.6 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 3.8% | 8.9% | 10.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 46.7% | 25.0% | 35.7% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.7 | – |
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, 17.2% of pupils at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| No specialist assessment of need | 21 | 0 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 5 | 4 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 6 | 0 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 3 | 0 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 3 | 0 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 1 | 1 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 1 | 0 |
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 Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy received £5,912 and spent £6,203 for each of its 241 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £129,000 (-£537 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
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £126,000 | £82,000 | -£129,000 |
| per pupil | £494 | £349 | -£537 |
| In-year balance | -£130,000 | -£115,000 | -£70,000 |
| per pupil | -£509 | -£488 | -£291 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
Eastfield Primary School
Eastfield Road, Thurmaston, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 8FP |
0.29 miles |
|
Church Hill Infant School
Church Hill Road, Thurmaston, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 8DE |
0.52 miles |
|
Church Hill Church of England Junior School
Church Hill Road, Thurmaston, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 8DE |
0.52 miles |
|
The Merton Primary School
Cherry Drive, Syston, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE7 2PT |
0.9 miles |
|
Sandfield Close Primary School
Sandfield Close, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 7RE |
1.17 miles |
|
Riverside Community Primary School Birstall
Riverside Community Primary School Birstall, Wanlip Lane, Birstall, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 4JU |
1.31 miles |
|
The Pochin School
School Lane, Barkby, The Pochin School, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE7 3QL |
1.36 miles |
|
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Academy
Upper Church Street, Syston, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE7 1HR |
1.41 miles |
|
Herrick Primary School
Lockerbie Avenue, Rushey Mead, Lockerbie Avenue, Rushey Mead, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 7NJ |
1.54 miles |
|
Hope Hamilton CofE Primary School
Sandhills Avenue, North Hamilton, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 1LU |
1.84 miles |
|
Highcliffe Primary School and Community Centre
Greengate Lane, Birstall, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 3DL |
1.86 miles |
|
Wyvern Primary School
Wyvern Avenue, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 7HH |
1.98 miles |
|
Hallam Fields, Birstall
Long Meadow Way, Birstall, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 3LL |
2.06 miles |
|
Rushey Mead Primary School
Gipsy Lane, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 6RB |
2.14 miles |
|
Mellor Community Primary School
60 Checketts Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 5EQ |
2.15 miles |
|
North Mead Primary Academy
Northfield Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 9DL |
2.26 miles |
|
Rothley Church of England Primary School
Burrow Drive, Rothley, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE7 7RZ |
2.27 miles |
|
Queniborough Church of England Primary School
Coppice Lane, Queniborough, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE7 3DR |
2.32 miles |
|
Belgrave St Peter's CofE Primary School
Thurcaston Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 5PG |
2.33 miles |
|
Saint Patrick's Catholic Voluntary Academy
Harrison Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 6QN |
2.33 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
The Roundhill Academy
997 Melton Road, Thurmaston, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 8GQ |
0.29 miles |
|
ALP Leicester
Stonehill Avenue, Birstall, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 4JG |
1.34 miles |
|
The Cedars Academy
Wanlip Lane, Birstall, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 4GH |
1.34 miles |
|
Wreake Valley Academy
Parkstone Road, Syston, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE7 1LY |
1.65 miles |
|
Rushey Mead Academy
Melton Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 7AN |
1.75 miles |
|
Soar Valley College
Gleneagles Avenue, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 7GY |
1.81 miles |
|
Spark Vale Academy
Crt House, 176 Melton Road, 176 Melton Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 5EE |
2.26 miles |
|
Avanti Fields School
21 Bhaktivedanta Marg, Leicester, LE5 0BX |
2.26 miles |
|
Gateway Sixth Form College
Colin Grundy Drive, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 1GA |
2.33 miles |
|
Darul Uloom Leicester
119 Loughborough Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 5LN |
2.42 miles |
|
Keyham Lodge School
Keyham Lane, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 1FG |
2.5 miles |
|
Orchard Mead Academy
Keyham Lane West, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 1RT |
2.68 miles |
|
Netherhall Mead Academy
Keyham Lane West, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 1RT |
2.69 miles |
|
The Imam Muhammad Adam Institute School
97 Bridge Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, Leicester, LE5 3LD |
3.13 miles |
|
Ratcliffe College
|
3.2 miles |
|
Jameah Boys Academy
33 Wood Hill, Leicester, LE5 3SQ |
3.26 miles |
|
Jameah Academy
49 Rolleston Street, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 3SD |
3.28 miles |
|
Al-Aqsa Schools Trust
The Wayne Way, Leicester, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 4PP |
3.31 miles |
|
Babington Academy
Strasbourg Drive, Beaumont Leys, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 0SZ |
3.35 miles |
|
Indie Education
Creative Mill, 64 Mansfield Street, Leicester, LE1 3DL |
3.61 miles |
All schools in Leicester · Leicestershire local authority: places and applications
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy is part of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:
- Saint Patrick's Catholic Voluntary Academy Leicester
- St Joseph's Catholic Academy Leicester
- Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy Leicester
- English Martyrs' Catholic School, A Voluntary Academy Leicester
- St Paul's Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy Leicester
- Christ the King Catholic Voluntary Academy Leicester
- St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy Leicester
- Saint John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy, Wigston, Leicestershire Wigston
- Holy Cross Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy Leicester
- Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy Loughborough
What is Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2017 of its predecessor, Bishop Ellis Catholic Primary School.
When was Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy was last inspected in June 2025.
How many pupils does Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy have?
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy has 232 pupils on roll.
What age range does Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy cover?
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 5 to 11.
What are Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Barkby Thorpe Lane, Thurmaston, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 8GP.