Ellesmere College
Ellesmere College is a council special school in Leicester for boys and girls aged 4 to 19. It has 441 pupils, 15 more than it has places for. About 49 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted visited in May 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
40 Braunstone Lane East, Leicester, LE3 2FD0116 289 4242ellesmerecollege.org.ukPrincipal Stephanie Beale co-principalAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 6 May 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 5 May 2022 | Ungraded | School remains Good |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
34 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Leicester | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 34 | 36 | 42 | 38 | 32 | 28 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | – | – | – | 0.9 | – | 0.8 | 47.5 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | – | – | -1.90 | – | -1.66 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | – | – | – | 0% | – | 0% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | – | – | – | 0% | – | 0% | 66% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | – | – | – | 0.04 | – | 0.04 | 4.23 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | – | – | – | 0% | – | 0% | 44% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | – | – | – | 0.7 | – | 1.1 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | – | – | – | 1.3 | – | 0.4 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | – | – | 1.0 | – | 0.7 | – | – |
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
27 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Leicester | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 27 | 24 | 41 | 10 | 7 | 2 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | 61% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | 5% | 8% |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | – | – | 108.0 | – | – | – | 104.8 | 104.6 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 0% | 0% | 2% | 0% | 0% | – | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -9.4 | -3.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -8.2 | -5.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | – | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At the end of primary school, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Leicester council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with autism, hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties, multi-sensory impairment, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, severe learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties, visual impairment.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Leicester with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (212), language and communications needs (154), Moderate learning difficulty (27), emotional and mental health (13), Hearing impairment (6), Physical disability (2).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 441 | 436 | 435 | 418 | 365 | 309 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 48% | 46% | 43% | 42% | 46% | 45% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 28% | 28% | 29% | 32% | 32% | 29% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 100% | 99% | 99% | 98% | 99% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 10.2% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 7.4% | 4.8% | 8.1% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 8.0% | 7.1% | 7.4% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 5.7% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.1% | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 2.4% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 30.9% | 26.2% | 30.1% | 23.3% | 11.7% | 25.1% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 42 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 90%, compared with 95% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 93% | 92% | 92% | 94% |
| Education | 93% | 90% | 90% | 94% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Work | 0% | 3% | 3% | 0% |
| Not in education, work or training | 5% | 3% | 3% | 6% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other special schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caldecote Community Primary School | Council | 840 m | 600 | Not inspected | 92 | Compare |
| Ravenhurst Primary School | Academy | 910 m | 358 | Report card 2025 | 17 | Compare |
| St Mary's Fields Academy | Academy | 980 m | 433 | Requires improvement 2023 | 4 | Compare |
| Folville Junior School | Council | 990 m | 355 | Not inspected | 31 | Compare |
| Granby Primary School | Council | 0.6 miles | 460 | Good 2023 | 27 | Compare |
| Fullhurst Community College | Foundation | 0.8 miles | 1,441 | Good 2023 | 21 | Compare |
| Imperial Avenue Infant School | Council | 0.9 miles | 300 | Good 2023 | 31 | Compare |
| Millfield L.E.A.D. Academy | Academy | 0.9 miles | 453 | Not inspected | 95 | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is Ellesmere College a good school?
Ellesmere College doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted's report card from May 2026 rated its teaching as as expected.
What is Ellesmere College's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 6 May 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as as expected.
How good are Ellesmere College's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 0% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Ellesmere College have?
441 pupils aged 4 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 426 places, so it is 104% full.
What is attendance like at Ellesmere College?
Pupils were in school 89.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 31% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
Does Ellesmere College have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It is a special school for autism, hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties, multi-sensory impairment, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, severe learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties, visual impairment. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Ellesmere College have a breakfast club?
Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.
Does Ellesmere College have a sixth form?
Yes.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- 40 Braunstone Lane East, Leicester, LE3 2FD
- Telephone
- 0116 289 4242
- Website
- www.ellesmerecollege.org.uk
- Co-Principal
- Principal Stephanie Beale
- Free breakfast club
- Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
- Type of school
- Council special school (Community special school, special schools)
- Phase
- Special school, ages 4-19, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Local authority
- Leicester
- Ward
- Braunstone Ravenhurst
- Constituency
- Leicester West
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 1995
- URN
- 130371 · LAESTAB 8567218 · UKPRN 10015596
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- Breakfast club: DfE list of schools on the free breakfast club programme.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.