Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School

About Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School

Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is a small state primary in North West Leicestershire that clearly inspires strong local loyalty. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 38 applications for just 14 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.71 — meaning nearly three families applied for every available spot. Of those, 12 first-preference families were offered places, which suggests that for most who put it top of their list, it worked out. The school is rated Good by Ofsted following its January 2022 inspection, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2015. Inspectors judged every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — as Good. With 100 pupils on roll against a capacity of 105, the school is running close to full, which matches the high demand.

Academically, Blackfordby St Margaret's performs around the middle of the pack. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 tests, 60% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — just below the Leicestershire local authority average of 62%. The school ranks 121st out of 231 primary schools in the county, placing it in the bottom half nationally at the 57th percentile. Where it does stand out is in maths: 80% of pupils met the expected standard, and the average maths scaled score of 107 is solid. Reading and writing expected rates were 60% and 70% respectively. At the higher standard, 60% of pupils achieved greater depth in maths, compared with 50% in reading and just 10% in writing. Progress scores aren't available in the data, so it's hard to say how much value the school adds, but the maths results are clearly a strength.

The school offers a good range of facilities for its size, including a gymnasium, ICT suite, music rooms, playing fields, a forest school and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, cricket, swimming, athletics, cross country and dance, while clubs include gardening, choir and eco club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, visual impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. The nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Ashby Hill Top Primary School, 2.5 km away. Given its strong local demand and Church of England character, this school is likely to suit families who value a close-knit, community-focused primary with decent maths outcomes and a broad range of activities, but who are prepared for the competitive admissions process.

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