Swithland St Leonard's Church of England Primary School

About Swithland St Leonard's Church of England Primary School

Swithland St Leonard's Church of England Primary School is a small village primary in Charnwood with 78 pupils on roll against a capacity of 105. Its free school meal rate of 1.3% is notably low compared with the national average of around 23%, pointing to a largely affluent catchment. Despite the spare capacity, demand for places is intense: for the 2025/26 reception intake, the school received 143 applications for just 14 places, an oversubscription ratio of 10.21. Only 12 of the 17 first-preference families were offered a spot, so living close to the school and applying early is essential. The school's Church of England character and strong local reputation clearly drive this demand, and the numbers suggest many families move into the area specifically to secure a place here.

Academically, Swithland St Leonard's delivers exceptional results. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, every pupil met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — a perfect 100% against the Leicestershire local authority average of 62%. That places the school first out of 45 primaries in Charnwood and 21st nationally out of 13,686 schools. A higher standard in reading and maths was achieved by 56% of pupils in each subject, with 33% reaching that level in writing. Average scaled scores were strong: 111 in reading and 109 in maths. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023 rated it Good overall, with Good across all categories including early years provision, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership. Its previous inspection in 2007 had been Outstanding, so the current Good rating reflects a slight shift but still strong performance.

The school sits on a generous site with playing fields, a sports hall, gymnasium, art studios and a chapel, and offers a solid range of sports including cross country, football, cricket, swimming and athletics. Clubs include chess, coding, drama and book club. SEND provision covers moderate learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorder, though the school's small size may mean specialist support is more limited than at larger primaries. For families seeking a high-performing, oversubscribed village school with a Church of England character and strong academic outcomes, Swithland St Leonard's is a clear contender — but you'll need to live close and apply early. The nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Woodhouse Eaves St Paul's Church of England Primary School, about 2.4 km away.

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