Leadenham Church of England Academy

About Leadenham Church of England Academy

Leadenham Church of England Academy, a small primary school in North Kesteven, Lincolnshire, received a Requires Improvement rating from Ofsted following its most recent graded inspection in June 2025. This marks a decline from its previous Good rating in 2012. The inspection report highlights specific areas needing attention: the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management were all judged as Requires Improvement. However, personal development was rated Good, indicating that the school still fosters positive character growth in its pupils. The most telling academic metric comes from the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results. Only 36% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to the Lincolnshire local authority average of 57%. This places the school in the bottom 50 nationally for this measure, ranking 39th out of 41 schools in the North Kesteven area.

Looking closer at the individual subject scores, the picture is mixed. In reading, 82% of pupils reached the expected standard, and 27% achieved a higher score, with an average scaled score of 106. This is a relative strength. However, in writing, only 36% met the expected standard, and none achieved the higher standard. Maths fared slightly better, with 45% reaching the expected standard and an average score of 99, but again, no pupils reached the higher threshold. Progress scores for reading, writing and maths were not available in the data, so it is difficult to assess how much value the school adds from its starting points. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 6% of all primary schools for the combined reading, writing and maths measure. With just 30 pupils on roll and a capacity of 63, the school is significantly under-subscribed, which may reflect parental confidence following the change in Ofsted rating.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, sports hall, playing fields, a forest school and a chapel, reflecting its Church of England foundation. Clubs such as coding, chess, eco club and gardening provide enrichment beyond the core curriculum, and sports include tennis, athletics and gymnastics. For pupils with additional needs, the school specifically supports social, emotional and mental health needs. A notable 53.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, indicating a high level of socio-economic disadvantage in the intake. The school also has nursery provision for children from age two. Given its small size and current challenges, this school may suit families who value a close-knit, rural setting and are prepared to work closely with the school during its improvement journey, particularly if their child has strong reading skills or needs support with social and emotional development.

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