Leighton Primary and Preschool, Peterborough
Leighton Primary and Preschool is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Peterborough. 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 71st-highest of the 78 schools in Peterborough with published results, and 12,528th of 14,452 across England. It was 76% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- 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 Peterborough (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Leighton Primary and Preschool in detail
Leighton Primary and Preschool in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Pupils at Leighton are kind, caring and supportive of each other and enjoy their learning. From my time here so far, I have seen that children and staff are keen to demonstrate our values of , 'Ambition, Respect, Community'."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils at Leighton Primary and Preschool reached the expected standard in reading and 61% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Peterborough and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 72% in reading and 68% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Leighton Primary and Preschool
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put Leighton Primary and Preschool as their first choice and 39 named it as one of their preferences, for 26 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 Leighton Primary and Preschool
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Leighton Primary and Preschool are Braybrook Primary Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 81% reading, 66% maths); Hampton Hargate Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 85% reading, 89% maths); St Botolph's Church of England Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 72% reading, 75% maths); and Winyates Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 90% reading, 79% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Leighton Primary and Preschool.
Braybrook Primary AcademyHampton Hargate Primary SchoolSt Botolph's Church of England Primary SchoolWinyates Primary School
Who goes there
43.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 38.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (42%), Black (13%) and Mixed (10%).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Orton Mere (Nene Valley Railway), about 1 mile away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Eldern (adjacent), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Leighton Primary and Preschool stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Leighton Primary and Preschool issued 33 suspensions, 10.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Leighton Primary and Preschool are Nene Park Academy (0.8 miles), Hampton College (0.9 miles), Hampton Gardens Secondary School (1 mile) and Ormiston Bushfield Academy (1.4 miles).
Nene Park AcademyHampton CollegeHampton Gardens Secondary SchoolOrmiston Bushfield Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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 enjoy attending Leighton Primary and Preschool. Many pupils say that the lessons are what they like best. They feel safe and well cared for by the staff. The school places a high value on everyone being included. The school's ethos of respect, ambition and community is seen in every aspect of school life. You feel welcome at Leighton.
Pupils enjoy studying a broad and stimulating curriculum. They find learning exciting. Pupils particularly like being challenged by harder work. It helps them to achieve increasingly well.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has considered what curriculum is best for the pupils. They have chosen a curriculum that is ambitious and exciting. In most subjects, teachers know the specific order in which pupils must learn important knowledge. In these subjects, pupils are progressing well. In a few subjects, the school has not yet made clear what pupils should know and when they should learn it. Teaching staff, therefore, have to make these decisions. This means, sometimes, pupils do not get to grips with important knowledge as securely as they need to.
The curriculum begins in the early years. The school ensures that the youngest children are prepared well for their future lessons in key stage 1.
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
43.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 72% to 63% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 68% to 61% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 70% to 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.7
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
22.4
KS2
11
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Leighton Primary and Preschool
Reception Open Day
30 Sep 2026
School Site Manager Vacancy
14 Sep 2026
Consultation on proposal to convert to Ormiston Academies Trust
5 May 2026
Summer Lunch Menu
13 Apr 2026
Can We Help?
17 Nov 2025
Stay Informed: Please Review Our Policies
22 Oct 2025
From Leighton Primary and Preschool's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Leighton Primary and Preschool
Term dates
Leighton Primary and Preschool is a community school, so its term dates are set by Peterborough. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Leighton Primary and Preschool from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Leighton Primary and Preschool 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
- 35
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 35 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 27 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 Leighton Primary and Preschool
Will you get a place at Leighton Primary and Preschool? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Leighton Primary and Preschool's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Leighton Primary and Preschool:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Leighton Primary and Preschool.
- Peterborough publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Leighton Primary and Preschool that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Leighton Primary and Preschool 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
76%
Available places
320 pupils
420 places
100 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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
49
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
22.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
298
Total Pupils
145
Boys
153
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
15.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,248
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,195
Per pupil
£2240k
Total funding
£197k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
10.3%
Persistent absence
310
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
Leighton Primary and Preschool
Questions parents ask about Leighton Primary and Preschool
What are SATs results like at Leighton Primary and Preschool?
Of the pupils at Leighton Primary and Preschool who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 63% reached the expected standard in reading and 61% did so in maths.
What is Leighton Primary and Preschool's Ofsted rating?
Leighton Primary and Preschool'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 Leighton Primary and Preschool?
No fixed boundary. When Leighton Primary and Preschool is oversubscribed, Peterborough allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Leighton Primary and Preschool?
Leighton Primary and Preschool was not full in 2025: it ran at 76% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Leighton Primary and Preschool?
Classes at Leighton Primary and Preschool average 21.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Leighton Primary and Preschool?
Leighton Primary and Preschool has around 298 pupils on roll. 44% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Leighton Primary and Preschool?
4.6% of sessions were missed at Leighton Primary and Preschool in 2024/25. 10.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Leighton Primary and Preschool?
Apply through Peterborough's coordinated admissions process, naming Leighton Primary and Preschool 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.
What are Leighton Primary and Preschool's term dates?
Leighton Primary and Preschool is a community school, so its term dates are set by Peterborough. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Leighton Primary and Preschool?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 35 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 27 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Leighton Primary and Preschool?
Leighton Primary and Preschool is at Orton Malborne, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE2 5PL.
Sources: Peterborough term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)