Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy, Leicester
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Leicester, part of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 119th-highest of the 138 schools in Leicester with published results, and 12,107th of 14,452 across England. It was 58% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Leicestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 69% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 77% in Leicestershire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 80% in reading and 84% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 75 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy are Eastfield Primary School (0.3 miles, Requires improvement, 64% reading, 78% maths); Church Hill Infant School (0.5 miles, Good); Church Hill Church of England Junior School (0.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 84% maths); and The Merton Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 73% reading, 76% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy.
Eastfield Primary SchoolChurch Hill Infant SchoolChurch Hill Church of England Junior SchoolThe Merton Primary School
The trust
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy is one of 23 schools run by St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 23 schools in St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust
What parents say
36 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 80% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (80%).
Who goes there
14.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 40 pupils (17.2%) received SEN support and 5 (2.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Syston Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is ASDA (adjacent), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy issued 4 suspensions, 1.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy are The Roundhill Academy (0.3 miles), The Cedars Academy (1.3 miles) and Wreake Valley Academy (1.6 miles).
The Roundhill AcademyThe Cedars AcademyWreake Valley Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in June 2022. Before that, as Bishop Ellis Catholic Primary School (URN 120218), it was rated Good in June 2012.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Bishop Ellis is a warm, welcoming school where children are happy and feel safe. Teaching is strong with staff using skilled questioning to help children understand their learning, and the school is particularly ambitious in supporting all pupils, including those with additional needs. The school creates a caring community where children develop leadership skills, show respect for each other, and achieve well, particularly in English and mathematics.
Key Strengths
- Well-sequenced curriculum with meaningful connections between subjects and regular revisiting of key knowledge
- Effective teaching with skilled questioning and strong subject knowledge across staff
- Pupils learn to read well with effective phonics routines and additional support for struggling readers
- Ambitious approach to supporting pupils with SEND who access learning and achieve success alongside peers
- Strong behaviour expectations with studious classrooms and positive pupil attitudes to learning
Areas for Improvement
- Learning opportunities in some wider curriculum subjects do not consistently stretch and extend pupils' understanding
- Some areas of the early years curriculum do not always provide sufficient challenge to extend children's knowledge further
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Board games club, pupil sports leaders, eco-warriors group, school council, chaplaincy leaders, outdoor kitchen activities
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy is a caring school held in high regard by the school community, where pupils are happy, feel safe, and achieve well. The school has maintained the standards identified at its previous inspection through effective action and consistent commitment to improvement.
At a Glance
14.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
36 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 80% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 84% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.0
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
30.2
KS2
8
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- Charnwood Pre-school & Out of School Club820m away · Ofsted: Good
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy is in Leicestershire; for families living there:
- Leicestershire's school travel policy: Mainstream School Transport for 5 to 16 year olds
- How to apply: Request for school transport on medical grounds form PDF, 359.48 KB Opens new window
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 17 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Leicestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy for 2023 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Leicestershire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
58%
Available places
242 pupils
420 places
178 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Leicester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leicester
Across Leicestershire council
Places available
8,574
Applications
6,827
Got 1st preference
94.0%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Leicestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
40
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
19.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
232
Total Pupils
126
Boys
106
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
21.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,969
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,051
Per pupil
£1342k
Total funding
£53k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
8.4%
Persistent absence
214
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 59% reached the expected standard in reading and 69% did so in maths.
What is Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in June 2022. Before that, as Bishop Ellis Catholic Primary School (URN 120218), it was rated Good in June 2012.
What is the catchment area for Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Leicestershire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 58% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Classes at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy average 29 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy has around 232 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy?
5% of sessions were missed at Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 8.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Leicestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy: Charnwood Pre-school & Out of School Club (820m away, rated Good by Ofsted). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 17 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Barkby Thorpe Lane, Thurmaston, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 8GP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)