School Chooser

Uplands Junior L.E.A.D. Academy

Primary · ages 7-11MixedAcademy447 pupilsLeicester
School Chooser Score
62
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 45 to 76
Out of 100. Better than 47% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
Reached the expected level at 1172%England 63%
Attendance96.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families27%About the same as most schools in England
Places33 spare447 pupils, 480 places
Pupils per teacher23.8School workforce census
Pupils on roll447Census January 2026

Uplands Junior L.E.A.D. Academy is a sponsored academy in Leicester for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 447 pupils and room for 480. About 27 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 62 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 47% of the 50 schools most like it.

Melbourne Road, Highfields, Leicester, LE2 0DR0116 253 8407uplandsacademy.co.ukLucy Carlisle headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1172%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level8%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 69%69%20172018: 67%67%20182019: 64%64%20192023: 63%63%20232024: 67%67%20242025: 72%72%2025
Since 2017: +3%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LeicesterEngland
Pupils tested120115120115116115
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths72%67%63%64%67%69%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%2%2%14%13%8%5%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0103.0103.0103.0103.0104.0104.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0104.0104.0108.0106.0108.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0105.0104.0110.0108.0110.0105.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard78%74%67%66%71%71%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard83%81%74%86%83%93%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)80%77%72%90%91%86%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.2-3.6-3.6-3.4
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.3+1.2-0.5+1.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged69%60%48%56%63%67%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged74%71%68%68%69%70%

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. 3 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
69%74%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
74%68%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
70%72%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
4%8%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 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.

Nearly full469 pupils for 480 places, 2024/25
98% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. 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 roll447Census January 2026
Places48093% full
Pupils from low-income families27%27% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English73%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%62 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%8 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.916 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)28%£193,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls210 / 237
White British pupils1%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (28), Moderate learning difficulty (12), emotional and mental health (11), Specific learning difficulty (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (6), Hearing impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll447468480479473475
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals27%32%31%28%27%20%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language73%82%81%89%85%86%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%8%8%8%9%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school6.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.7%4.2%4.7%5.2%4.3%4.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.4%2.2%2.8%3.3%2.8%2.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%2.1%1.9%1.9%1.5%1.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence6.8%9.2%9.3%14.1%9.4%9.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.70.80.80.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers18.8full-time equivalent, 21 people
Pupils per teacher23.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants14.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,515
Teachers who left in the year5%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.62024/25

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£5,372England £7,128. Total £2.5m
Income per pupil£6,312England £7,587. Total £3.0m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,639England £3,405
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £163k, £349 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£440kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,372spent 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 Infant SchoolAcademy0 m436Good 202229Compare
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

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Uplands Junior L.E.A.D. Academy with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats47%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 62 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 4 · middle 62 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Uplands Junior L.E.A.D. Academy, 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
Rowlatts Mead Primary AcademyAcademy1.4 miles437Good 202377Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 62 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 62% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 45 to 76. 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%in line
+0.01
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 120 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.08
DfE progress measure; 120 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.15
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.12
2024/25; 501 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.06
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 120 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 Uplands Junior L.E.A.D. Academy a good school?

It is about average. Uplands Junior L.E.A.D. Academy scores 62 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 47% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 45 to 76, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

How good are Uplands Junior L.E.A.D. Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 72% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 8% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Uplands Junior L.E.A.D. Academy have?

447 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 480 places, so it is 93% full.

Is Uplands Junior L.E.A.D. Academy oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Uplands Junior L.E.A.D. Academy?

Pupils were in school 96.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 7% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Uplands Junior L.E.A.D. Academy?

The average class had 27.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
Melbourne Road, Highfields, Leicester, LE2 0DR
Telephone
0116 253 8407
Website
www.uplandsacademy.co.uk
Headteacher
Lucy Carlisle
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 7-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
L.E.a.D. Academy Trust (27 schools)
Local authority
Leicester
Ward
Wycliffe
Constituency
Leicester South
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 June 2016 (new provision)
URN
142787 · LAESTAB 8562007 · UKPRN 10056439
Formerly
Uplands Junior School

Where these figures come from