Best Schools in Leicester

How many schools are there in Leicester?

Leicester has 232 open schools: 153 state primary, 35 state secondary or all-through, 17 independent, 17 special and 10 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Leicester are rated Outstanding?

23 schools in Leicester were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Imam Muhammad Adam Institute Boys School, Land of Learning Primary School, Brook Mead Academy, Abbey Mead Primary Academy, Beauchamp City Sixth Form and 18 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 194 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Imam Muhammad Adam Institute Boys SchoolLand of Learning Primary SchoolBrook Mead AcademyAbbey Mead Primary AcademyBeauchamp City Sixth Form

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Leicester get the best GCSE results?

Of the 38 schools in Leicester with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Manor High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 60.4 and 79% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Madani Girls' School, with an Attainment 8 score of 57.9 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Rushey Mead Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.8 and 62% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Manor High SchoolMadani Girls' SchoolRushey Mead Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Leicester have the best SATs results?

Of the 138 primary schools in Leicester with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Tugby Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); The Pastures Primary School (98% in reading, 98% in maths); and Brocks Hill Primary School (98% in reading, 97% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Tugby Church of England Primary SchoolThe Pastures Primary SchoolBrocks Hill Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Leicester?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Leicester selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Leicester?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Leicester published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Braunstone Frith Primary Academy, 3.687 miles for 2026 entry; Brook Mead Academy, 0.767 miles for 2026 entry; Castle Mead Academy, 0.972 miles for 2026 entry; Crown Hills Community College, 0.705 miles for 2026 entry; Evington Valley Primary School, 0.483 miles for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 17 schools in Leicester; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Braunstone Frith Primary AcademyBrook Mead AcademyCastle Mead AcademyCrown Hills Community CollegeEvington Valley Primary School

Source: Leicester admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Leicester?

Apply to your council - Leicester or Leicestershire, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.