School Chooser

Uplands Infant School

Primary · ages 2-7MixedAcademy436 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubLeicester
School Chooser Score
29
Below
similar schools
Likely range 14 to 53, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 17% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
#11,461 of 16,041 in England#50 in LeicesterHow it is worked out
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, October 2022
Attendance93.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families14%Far fewer than most schools
Parents would recommend100%102 Parent View responses
Places24 spare436 pupils, 460 places
Pupils per teacher22.1School workforce census

Uplands Infant School is a converter academy in Leicester for boys and girls aged 2 to 7. It has 436 pupils and room for 460. About 14 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 29 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 17% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Melbourne Road, Highfields, Leicester, LE2 0DR0116 262 5280uplandsinfant.org.ukMrs Michelle Orton headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 26 October 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
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

No published results yet for this school.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places302 pupils for 360 places, 2024/25
84% full

58 places were empty (16% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 13% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (94 offers for 120 places).

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary12094– all offeredLA

What parents say

Would recommend the school100%England 87%
My child is happy here100%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe100%
Positive overall–
My child is happy at this school
100%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
100%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
99%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
9% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
100%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
100%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
5% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
100%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
100%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
92%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
98%England 82%
I would recommend this school
100%England 87%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 102 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

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 roll436Census January 2026
Places46095% full
Pupils from low-income families11%14% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English90%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support15%66 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.612 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)15%£74,400 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls236 / 200
White British pupils1%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (54), emotional and mental health (5), Specific learning difficulty (4), Moderate learning difficulty (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll436412424403429448
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals11%14%12%13%12%12%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language90%92%93%95%92%92%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support–14%13%7%9%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans–1%1%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school19.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.4%7.0%6.2%5.8%4.3%5.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.0%5.3%4.6%3.8%2.8%3.5%–
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.4%1.7%1.7%1.9%1.5%1.7%–
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence19.5%22.0%18.8%16.2%8.5%12.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0––
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000––

† These attendance figures are for Uplands Infant School, the school this one replaced in April 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers17.3full-time equivalent, 20 people
Pupils per teacher22.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers95%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants15.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,673
Teachers who left in the year15%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.12024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£6,396England £7,128. Total £2.3m
Income per pupil£6,500England £7,587. Total £2.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,876England £3,405
Money in reserve15%A healthy amount put by: £359k, £985 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£38kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,396spent 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 m1,07012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate83 per 1,000 people9% lower than the England average
Typical house price£240,000Leicester
Nearest bus stop40 mDonnington Street, 11 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
Uplands Junior L.E.A.D. AcademyAcademy0 m447Not inspected62Compare
Highfields Primary SchoolAcademy110 m352No overall grade 202458Compare
Sparkenhoe Community Primary SchoolAcademy390 m450Good 202354Compare
Medway Community Primary SchoolCouncil420 m466Good 202245Compare
Charnwood Primary SchoolAcademy680 m400No overall grade 202520Compare
Spinney Hill Primary SchoolCouncil800 m687Good 202267Compare
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary AcademyAcademy820 m310Report card 202661Compare
Shenton Primary SchoolAcademy850 m360Good 202014Compare
Primary schools in LeicesterBest primary schools in England

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Uplands Infant School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats17%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 29 is 38 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 67 · highest 97100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Uplands Infant School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Sparkenhoe Community Primary SchoolAcademy390 m450Good 202354Compare
Spinney Hill Primary SchoolCouncil800 m687Good 202267Compare
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary AcademyAcademy820 m310Report card 202661Compare
Evington Valley Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles339Good 202353Compare
Catherine Infant SchoolCouncil1.0 miles378Outstanding 201979Compare
Hazel Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles410Report card 202665Compare
Abbey Mead Primary AcademyAcademy1.5 miles718Outstanding 202496Compare
Rushey Mead Primary SchoolCouncil1.7 miles532Good 202452Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 29 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 29% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 14 to 53. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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 years0%no data
–
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 3.9 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
–
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.25
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.18
2024/25; 210 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
–
What parents say5%well above
+0.14
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 102 responses

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 Uplands Infant School a good school?

The figures are weak. Uplands Infant School scores 29 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 17% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 14 to 53, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Uplands Infant School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Uplands Infant School good at its last full inspection on 26 October 2022.

How many pupils does Uplands Infant School have?

436 pupils aged 2 to 7 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 460 places, so it is 95% full.

Is Uplands Infant School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 58 places were empty in 2024/25 (16% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Uplands Infant School?

Pupils were in school 93.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 20% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Uplands Infant School?

100% of the 102 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 100% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at Uplands Infant School?

The average class had 28.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Uplands Infant School 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.

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

Contact and details

Address
Melbourne Road, Highfields, Leicester, LE2 0DR
Telephone
0116 262 5280
Website
www.uplandsinfant.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Michelle Orton
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
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-7, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Attenborough Learning Trust (9 schools)
Local authority
Leicester
Ward
Wycliffe
Constituency
Leicester South
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2019 (academy converter)
URN
146853 · LAESTAB 8562299 · UKPRN 10082991
Formerly
Uplands Infant School
Official recordOfsted reportsGovernment performance tablesDownload this school's data (CSV)

Where these figures come from