School Chooser

Shaftesbury Junior School

Primary · ages 7-11MixedCouncil239 pupilsLeicester
School Chooser Score
47
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 27 to 68
Out of 100. Better than 43% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, February 2022
Reached the expected level at 1158%England 63%
Attendance95.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families36%Far more than most schools
Places1 spare239 pupils, 240 places
Pupils per teacher22.5School workforce census

Shaftesbury Junior School is a council school in Leicester for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 239 pupils and room for 240. About 36 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 47 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 43% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Latimer Street, Shaftesbury Junior School, Leicester, LE3 0QE0116 254 9203shaftesbury.leicester.sch.ukMr Karl Stewart headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 February 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

53 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1158%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 43%43%20172018: 46%46%20182019: 57%57%20192023: 27%27%20232024: 48%48%20242025: 58%58%2025
Since 2017: +15%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LeicesterEngland
Pupils tested535656585654
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths58%48%27%57%46%43%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%4%4%2%0%0%5%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0101.0103.0102.0104.0102.0104.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0103.0103.0104.0103.0104.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0103.0103.0103.0105.0103.0105.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard74%57%63%66%64%61%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard81%68%68%83%66%80%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)64%54%27%69%64%48%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.9-0.5-1.2-2.7
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.1+0.9-1.6-1.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged48%63%54%67%55%39%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged66%41%19%48%41%50%

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. 2 of the 4 gaps are 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

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
48%66%
Gap 18 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
54%64%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
49%58%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

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.

Full242 pupils for 223 places, 2024/25
109% full

The school is full, with 19 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

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 a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll239Census January 2026
Places240100% full
Pupils from low-income families36%36% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English69%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%30 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%2 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.98 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils50%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)36%£137,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls113 / 126
White British pupils9%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (11), language and communications needs (10), emotional and mental health (6), Specific learning difficulty (3), Physical disability (1), Vision impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll239241245240225229
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals36%37%38%28%24%31%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language69%69%67%63%62%59%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%12%13%15%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%0%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school7.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.1%4.8%6.2%6.0%5.8%3.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.1%3.3%3.8%4.0%4.1%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.0%1.6%2.4%2.1%1.7%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence7.6%11.2%16.2%19.0%17.6%7.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.80.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers10.6full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher22.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,706
Teachers who left in the year10%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.62024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,016England £7,738. Total £1.7m
Income per pupil£6,841England £7,697. Total £1.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,033England £3,480
Money in reserve16%A healthy amount put by: £266k, £1,105 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£42kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,016spent per pupil

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

Crimes within 500 m1,72312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate150 per 1,000 people65% higher than the England average
Typical house price£240,000Leicester
Nearest bus stop130 mGaul Street, 20 stops within 500 m

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 primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
King Richard III Infant and Nursery SchoolCouncil340 m269Requires improvement 20243Compare
Imperial Avenue Infant SchoolCouncil950 m300Good 202331Compare
Dovelands Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles534Good 202242Compare
Hazel Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles410Report card 202665Compare
Christ the King Catholic Voluntary AcademyAcademy0.7 miles645No overall grade 202489Compare
St Mary's Fields AcademyAcademy0.8 miles433Requires improvement 20234Compare
Inglehurst Infant SchoolAcademy0.9 miles228Report card 202624Compare
Inglehurst Junior SchoolCouncil0.9 miles308Good 202342Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Shaftesbury Junior School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats43%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 47 is 7 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 54 · highest 96100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 47 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 47% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 27 to 68. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.12
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 53 pupils
Ofsted inspection16% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.13
DfE progress measure; 53 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.22
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.07
2024/25; 262 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.10
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 53 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Shaftesbury Junior School a good school?

It is about average. Shaftesbury Junior School scores 47 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 43% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 27 to 68, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Shaftesbury Junior School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Shaftesbury Junior School good at its last full inspection on 8 February 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Shaftesbury Junior School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 58% 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 Shaftesbury Junior School have?

239 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 100% full.

Is Shaftesbury Junior School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 19 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Shaftesbury Junior School?

Pupils were in school 95.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 8% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Shaftesbury Junior School?

The average class had 29.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 50% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Latimer Street, Shaftesbury Junior School, Leicester, LE3 0QE
Telephone
0116 254 9203
Website
www.shaftesbury.leicester.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Karl Stewart
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 7-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Leicester
Ward
Westcotes
Constituency
Leicester West
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
120026 · LAESTAB 8562268 · UKPRN 10079019

Where these figures come from