Booth Wood Academy

About Booth Wood Academy

Booth Wood Academy sits within the Leicestershire local authority, one of only eight primary schools out of 231 in the area to hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating. That puts it in a small, select group locally, though it is not the top-ranked school in its immediate peer set — Swithland St Leonard's Church of England Primary School leads the local ranking, followed by Long Whatton Church of England Primary School and Community Centre and Brocks Hill Primary School, both tied on the same score. The nearest other Outstanding-rated primary is Newcroft Primary Academy, 2.9 km away. Headteacher Heather Sharpe leads a school that is at full capacity with 210 pupils, and the demand is clear: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 111 applications for just 30 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.7 to one, with 35 first-preference applications resulting in 30 offers. This is a school that families in Charnwood clearly want to get into.

Academically, the picture is built on a strong Ofsted track record. The school's most recent graded inspection, in December 2012, awarded an overall effectiveness rating of Outstanding, a significant jump from the Requires Improvement rating it received just two years earlier in June 2010. Leadership and management were also judged Outstanding at that inspection. The data does not include recent Key Stage 2 SATs results or a Progress 8 score, so it is not possible to compare directly with the Leicestershire local authority average of 62 for KS2 attainment. However, the Ofsted trajectory — moving from Requires Improvement to Outstanding in a single inspection cycle — suggests a school that made rapid, sustained improvements under its leadership. The early years provision, which was graded as Requires Improvement (a score of 2) in 2010, was not separately graded in the 2012 inspection, so it is unclear whether that area also improved to Outstanding.

The school offers a practical, well-equipped environment for its 210 pupils. Facilities include an ICT suite, library, gymnasium, outdoor playground, playing fields, and even a chapel, which is unusual for a non-religious school. Sports provision covers swimming, cricket, dance, netball, football, rounders, and tennis, while clubs extend beyond sport into chess, coding, art, eco, gardening, and film. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. There is no nursery provision and no sixth form, so this is strictly a primary school for ages 4 to 11. Given its oversubscription, families should apply early and list it as a first preference. This school will suit parents who value a strong Ofsted rating, a broad range of activities, and a full-to-capacity community feel in the Charnwood area.

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