Leas Park Junior School

About Leas Park Junior School

Leas Park Junior School’s headline metrics sit noticeably below the Nottinghamshire local authority average for primary schools. While the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (RWM) combined is 61%, Leas Park’s figure is just 21%. That gap is substantial and places the school 219th out of 286 similar schools in the county, in the bottom 50% nationally. The school’s ranking within Mansfield itself is even starker: 26th out of 27 primary schools, putting it in the 96th percentile locally — meaning only one school in the town performs worse on this measure. For parents comparing options, this is the single most important data point to weigh. The school’s overall Ofsted rating of Good, awarded in 2023, tells a different story about quality of education, but the academic outcomes suggest a significant challenge in getting pupils to the expected benchmark by the end of Key Stage 2.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the picture is mixed. In reading, 62% of pupils reached the expected standard and 15% achieved a higher score — both reasonable figures. The average reading score of 102 is solid. But maths tells a tougher story: only 47% reached the expected standard, and just 7% hit the higher threshold, with an average score of 99. Writing is the weakest area, with only 29% meeting expectations and 4% reaching greater depth. The combined RWM expected rate of 21% is pulled down sharply by these maths and writing results. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it’s hard to say whether pupils are making typical gains from their starting points. The school’s Ofsted inspection in May 2023 rated behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership, and quality of education all as Good, which suggests the school is well-led and orderly, even if exam results lag behind the local average.

Leas Park is a state junior school for pupils aged 7 to 11, with 268 children on roll against a capacity of 280, so it is nearly full. Around a quarter of pupils (23.9%) are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average and may partly explain the academic challenges. The school offers a broad set of facilities including a sensory room, forest school, library, sports hall, music rooms, and even a chapel. Sports provision covers football, cricket, swimming, athletics, tennis and dance, and there are clubs for book, gardening and chess. SEND support is well-documented, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, multi-sensory impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families prioritising a supportive, inclusive environment with strong pastoral care and a Good Ofsted rating, this school could be a good fit — but those focused on academic outcomes at the expected standard may want to look at higher-performing peers in the area, such as Crescent Primary School, which is rated Outstanding and only 2.8 km away.

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