Victoria Junior School

About Victoria Junior School

Victoria Junior School’s headline KS2 results sit well below the Leeds local authority average, which is a significant point for parents to weigh. Just 37% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a LA average of 61% for primary schools. That gap of 24 percentage points places the school in the bottom 50 nationally for this metric, ranking 194th out of 204 primary schools in Leeds. The school’s overall ranking score of 37 reflects this, and its percentile position in the region (94.6%) and nationally (94.0%) confirms it is among the lower-performing schools on this measure. For context, the top-performing peers in Leeds, such as Harewood Church of England Primary and Shadwell Primary, each achieved a ranking score of 90. Victoria Junior School’s results are not in line with the LA average; they are markedly lower, and this is the central fact that shapes its academic profile.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 KS2 data, the picture is mixed across individual subjects. In writing, 55% of pupils reached the expected standard, which is the strongest of the three core subjects, while reading (42%) and maths (47%) lag behind. At the higher standard, the numbers are very low: just 3% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, with maths at 11%, reading at 16% and writing at 5%. Average scaled scores were 99 for reading and 98 for maths, both slightly below the national benchmark of 100. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in May 2023, confirmed it remains Good, a rating it has held since its previous graded inspection in 2018. Leadership and management were also judged Good. With 46% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage, which provides important context for these outcomes.

Victoria Junior School is a smaller-than-average primary for ages 7 to 11, with 126 pupils against a capacity of 150, so there is some spare capacity. Facilities include an art studio, forest school, sports hall, ICT suite, sensory room, music rooms and a chapel, which is unusual for a state primary. The school offers a range of clubs — science, choir, art and drama — and sports such as gymnastics, rounders, dance, athletics and cricket. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties (dyslexia), moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families considering this school, the key takeaway is that it serves a high-needs cohort with a Good Ofsted rating but academic outcomes that are significantly below the Leeds average. It may suit parents who prioritise pastoral support and a broad range of facilities over headline exam results.

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