Overdale Infant School, Leicester
Overdale Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Leicester, part of Oak Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. It was 91% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Leicester (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Overdale Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Overdale Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 83 families put Overdale Infant School as their first choice and 136 named it as one of their preferences, for 84 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 Overdale Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Overdale Infant School are Overdale Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 79% reading, 81% maths); St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 90% reading, 90% maths); Water Leys Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 69% reading, 76% maths); and Avenue Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 74% reading, 77% maths).
Overdale Junior SchoolSt Thomas More Catholic Voluntary AcademyWater Leys Primary SchoolAvenue Primary School
The trust
Overdale Infant School is one of 5 schools run by Oak Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
89 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Overdale Infant School (as of September 2025): 90% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 71% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (71%).
Who goes there
7.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 37.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (47%), White British (25%) and Mixed (14%).
In 2026, 36 pupils (10.2%) received SEN support and 9 (2.6%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Overdale Infant School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs and autism: 10 places, 0 pupils on roll.
Staffing
Overdale Infant School had 23 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is South Wigston Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Northfold Road (outside), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Overdale Infant School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 218 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Leicester (382).
Suspensions and exclusions
Overdale Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Overdale Infant School are Lancaster Academy (0.6 miles); Sir Jonathan North Girls' College (0.6 miles); Tudor Grange Samworth Academy, A church of England School (1.2 miles); and Wigston Academy (1.4 miles).
Lancaster AcademySir Jonathan North Girls' CollegeTudor Grange Samworth Academy, A church of England SchoolWigston Academy
Sources: 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; DfE school workforce census; 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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Overdale Infant School creates a family atmosphere where children thrive. Reading is a real strength, with expert teaching that helps all pupils succeed, including those who find learning to read difficult. The school is ambitious for every child to flourish and gives excellent support to staff to deliver high-quality teaching.
Key Strengths
- Strong start in pre-school with aspirational curriculum that inspires learning through play
- Reading is prioritised with expert phonics teaching and excellent support for struggling readers and English language learners
- Pupils with SEND achieve well with accurate identification and skilful support
- Excellent professional development for staff with personalised coaching ensuring effective curriculum delivery
- Calm, orderly classrooms where pupils respond well to school values and expectations
Areas for Improvement
- A few curriculum subjects are new and not fully embedded, meaning some pupils' knowledge is insecure
- Teachers do not always act on their checks of pupils' understanding to address misconceptions and provide appropriate next steps
- Reception curriculum does not provide sufficient progression from pre-school
- Some pupils have poor attendance and miss important learning despite the school's efforts to improve this
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Dodgeball, gymnastics, football, school council, eco-ambassadors, class responsibilities as fireflies
Overdale Infant School is a warm and welcoming school where pupils are happy and safe. The school has made considerable improvements since the previous inspection, with a well-sequenced curriculum and good achievement across most areas.
At a Glance
7.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Speech and language, Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
89 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
28.9
Avg class size
27.3
Infant (KS1)
12
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 Overdale Infant School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Overdale Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Overdale Infant School is in Leicester; for families living there:
Apply to Leicester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 20
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 15 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 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 Leicester is 24.5 (the median across 142 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 Overdale Infant School
Will you get a place at Overdale Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Overdale Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Overdale Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Overdale Infant School.
- Leicester publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Overdale Infant School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Overdale Infant School for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Leicester 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
91%
Near capacity
327 pupils
360 places
33 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 Leicester council
Places available
4,828
Applications
3,626
Got 1st preference
96.8%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Leicester council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
36
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
12.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Overdale Infant School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs and autism: 10 places, 0 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
352
Total Pupils
178
Boys
174
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
15.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,316
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,998
Per pupil
£1767k
Total funding
£41k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.0%
Overall absence
14.3%
Persistent absence
217
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
Questions parents ask about Overdale Infant School
What is Overdale Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Overdale Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
How close to Overdale Infant School do you need to live?
Leicester published that the last place offered at Overdale Infant School on distance went to a family 1 miles away. This is the authority's own figure for one year, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications, so treat it as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Is it hard to get a place at Overdale Infant School?
Overdale Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 91% of its 360 places.
How big are the classes at Overdale Infant School?
Classes at Overdale Infant School average 28.9 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 Overdale Infant School?
Overdale Infant School has around 352 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Overdale Infant School have specialist SEN provision?
Overdale Infant School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs and autism: 10 places, 0 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Overdale Infant School?
6% of sessions were missed at Overdale Infant School in 2024/25. 14.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Overdale Infant School?
Apply through Leicester's coordinated admissions process, naming Overdale Infant 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.
How many road collisions happen near Overdale Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 15 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 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 Leicester is 24.5 (the median across 142 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Overdale Infant School?
Overdale Infant School is at Eastcourt Road, Knighton, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE2 3YA.
Sources: Leicester admissions booklet; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)