Ridgeway Primary Academy, Market Harborough

Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 311

Data last updated 12 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~542m)Possible (~774m)Unlikely (~1.0km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Sally Applebee
Pupils:234 / 315 capacity
LA:Leicestershire
Phone:01858465800
Address:The Ridgeway, Market Harborough, LE16 7HQ
Trust:LEARN ACADEMIES TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 July 2012

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 7 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Expected Standard
Inspected 10 February 2026View full report
URN:138347
UKPRN:10037664
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Harborough, Oadby and Wigston
Urban/Rural:Urban: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Ridgeway Primary Academy has a strong, positive ethos where pupils feel safe and behave well. The school provides excellent enrichment opportunities including outdoor learning, trips and sports clubs, with particular support ensuring disadvantaged pupils can access everything on offer. Early years provision is notably strong, with children making good progress in reading, writing and developing important life skills.

Key Strengths

  • Strong attendance and behaviour, with effective support for pupils who struggle emotionally
  • Well-organised personal development programme teaching respect, teamwork and healthy choices
  • Improving early years provision with children making good progress in reading and writing
  • Enriching outdoor learning and trips that deepen curriculum understanding
  • Effective partnerships with parents and high staff morale

Areas for Improvement

  • Inconsistent pupil achievement in national tests, particularly in phonics screening and disadvantaged pupils' outcomes
  • Variable quality of teaching with inconsistent adaptations to meet individual pupil needs
  • New curriculum not yet fully embedded, so impact still to be seen
  • Support for pupils with SEND is inconsistent and needs further development
  • Leadership and governance lack sufficiently precise information to hold school accountable

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Sports clubs, outdoor learning curriculum, trips to places of local and national interest, visits to places of worship

Ridgeway Primary Academy is an improving school where pupils enjoy attending and feel safe. The school has recently made substantial changes to its curriculum and teaching, though these improvements are still in early stages.

At a Glance

11.5%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-9ppMathsWriting

Reading has declined from 83% to 74%. Maths has remained stable at around 69%. Writing has remained stable at around 69%.

Class Sizes

27.5

Avg class size

25.7

Infant (KS1)

28.6

KS2

8

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Market Harborough Rail Station
922m · 15 min walk

Bus Stops

Ridgeway Primary School (opp)
100m · 2 min walk
Sherrard Road (adj)
304m · 5 min walk
Russett Close (adj)
316m · 5 min walk
The Ridgeway (W Bound)
333m · 5 min walk
Blenheim Way (adj)
348m · 6 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

74%

Available places

234 pupils

315 capacity

81 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Market Harborough

Low pressure
New homes approved:764
Projected new pupils:191

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Market Harborough

Admissions Demand - Leicestershire

Low demand0.78x oversubscription

Places available

8,747

Applications

6,780

Got 1st preference

95.4%

Got preferred school

99.6%

Primary admissions across Leicestershire (2025/26)

Inspection History(5)

10 February 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
28 September 2021
26 May 2016

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.30982%

Overall absence

7.23982%

Persistent absence

221

Enrolments

Authorised4.70506%
Unauthorised0.60476%
Persistent (10%+)7.23982%
Severe (50%+)1.80995%

Absence trend

3.06494%
18/19
2.74956%
20/21
6.99754%
21/22
5.76722%
22/23
5.88848%
23/24
5.30982%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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