Highlees Primary School, Peterborough
Highlees Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Peterborough, part of The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 33rd-highest of the 78 schools in Peterborough with published results, and 7,353rd of 14,452 across England. It was 88% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Peterborough (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Highlees Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils at Highlees Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Peterborough and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 58% in reading and 49% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Highlees Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put Highlees Primary School as their first choice and 51 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Highlees Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Highlees Primary School are Ravensthorpe Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Requires improvement, 62% reading, 66% maths); Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 77% reading, 77% maths); Thorpe Primary Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 74% reading, 74% maths); and Nova Primary Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 75% reading, 77% maths).
Highlees Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Ravensthorpe Primary AcademySacred Heart Catholic Primary SchoolThorpe Primary AcademyNova Primary Academy
The trust
Highlees Primary School is one of 37 schools run by The Elliot Foundation Academies 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.
Who goes there
54.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 65.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (27%), Asian (21%) and Black (13%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Peterborough Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sandford (adjacent), 280 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Highlees Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 508 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Peterborough (275), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Highlees Primary School issued 21 suspensions, 5.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Highlees Primary School are Jack Hunt Academy (0.7 miles) and Queen Katharine Academy (1.3 miles).
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; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils thrive at Highlees Primary School. They are proud to be part of the school. Pupils have caring and respectful relationships and welcome new pupils who join the school.
Pupils behave well and trust adults to help them with any problems they might have. They enjoy their well-organised playtimes, where they play with pupils from across the school and take part in many different activities. Pupils know how to stay safe, including when online.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed a well-considered and organised curriculum, which provides opportunities for pupils to revisit their learning. This begins from the early years, where children develop their curiosity and interest in learning. Pupils make links and remember what they have learned before.
In some subjects, the ways teachers check on what pupils know is being reviewed. This is because leaders have identified that they do not have the detailed information they need that tells them how well the curriculum is meeting the needs of pupils. As a result, pupils have gaps in what they know and remember in some areas of the curriculum.
From Ofsted's June 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
54.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 58% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 49% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 65% to 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.7
Avg class size
21.8
Infant (KS1)
28.8
KS2
9
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Highlees Primary School
Before and after school care
Highlees Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Peterborough
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Highlees Primary School.
- One Touch Football - Highlees WACAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Highlees Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Peterborough's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Highlees Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Highlees Primary School is in Peterborough; for families living there:
- Peterborough's school travel policy: Mainstream school transport assistance policy
- How to apply: Apply online for school transport for 4 to 16 year olds
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 9 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
1 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 Peterborough is 16 (the median across 91 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 Highlees Primary School
Will you get a place at Highlees Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Highlees Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Highlees Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Highlees Primary School.
- Peterborough publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Highlees Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Highlees Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Peterborough 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
88%
Available places
369 pupils
420 places
51 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Peterborough
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Peterborough
Across Peterborough council
Places available
3,215
Applications
2,365
Got 1st preference
94.8%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All primary applications across Peterborough council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
58
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
19.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
351
Total Pupils
180
Boys
171
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
19.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,599
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,178
Per pupil
£2575k
Total funding
£238k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.3%
Overall absence
19.0%
Persistent absence
363
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
Highlees Primary School
Questions parents ask about Highlees Primary School
What are SATs results like at Highlees Primary School?
Of the pupils at Highlees Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 78% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is Highlees Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Highlees Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Highlees Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Highlees Primary School is oversubscribed, Peterborough allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Highlees Primary School?
Highlees Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Highlees Primary School?
Classes at Highlees Primary School average 25.7 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Highlees Primary School?
Highlees Primary School has around 351 pupils on roll. 54% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Highlees Primary School?
6.3% of sessions were missed at Highlees Primary School in 2024/25. 19% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Highlees Primary School?
Apply through Peterborough's coordinated admissions process, naming Highlees Primary School 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 Highlees Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Highlees Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: One Touch Football - Highlees WAC (registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near Highlees Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 9 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 1 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 Peterborough is 16 (the median across 91 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Highlees Primary School?
Highlees Primary School is at Ashton Road, Westwood, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE3 7ER.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)