The Winstanley School, Leicester
The Winstanley School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Leicester, part of Life Multi-Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 34th-highest of the 35 schools in Leicester with published results, and 3,113th of 3,298 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Leicestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Winstanley School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Winstanley School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 34.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.8 in Leicestershire and 47 across England.
23% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Leicestershire and 47% in England.
That is up from 29.9 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.8: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 27.6, against 42 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.4 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.
Getting a place at The Winstanley School
For September 2026 entry, 140 families put The Winstanley School as their first choice and 272 named it as one of their preferences, for 126 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 19 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at The Winstanley School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to The Winstanley School are Fullhurst Community College (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39); The Herewoode Academy (1.8 miles, Attainment 8 38); Castle Mead Academy (2.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 46.3); and Brook Mead Academy (2.2 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 46.6).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than The Winstanley School.
Fullhurst Community CollegeThe Herewoode AcademyCastle Mead AcademyBrook Mead Academy
The trust
The Winstanley School is one of 10 schools run by Life Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 124 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 74% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 45% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Who goes there
40.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 136 pupils (21.2%) received SEN support and 57 (8.9%) 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.
The Winstanley School has a resourced provision (15 places, 21 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (15 places, 21 pupils on roll) for social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leicester Rail Station, about 2.7 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Foxon Way (adjacent), 260 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 303 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Leicestershire (58), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Winstanley School issued 500 suspensions, 78.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Winstanley School are Kingsway Primary School (under 0.1 miles), Ravenhurst Primary School (0.6 miles), Caldecote Community Primary School (0.6 miles) and Millfield L.E.A.D. Academy (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Kingsway Primary SchoolRavenhurst Primary SchoolCaldecote Community Primary SchoolMillfield L.E.A.D. Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; 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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
40.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision and SEN unit: SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.91 to -0.80 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 30.5 to 34.9 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 23% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 34.9 | 23% |
| Disadvantaged(56) | - | 27.6 | 10.7% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(57) | - | 42.0 | 35.1% |
| Boys(61) | - | 33.3 | 16.4% |
| Girls(52) | - | 36.7 | 30.8% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(23) | - | 41.1 | 34.8% |
| Non mobile(107) | - | 35.5 | 24.3% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 5 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 124 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
500
Suspensions
78.25%
Suspension rate
140 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 639 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with The Winstanley School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Winstanley School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Winstanley School 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
3 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 The Winstanley School
Will you get a place at The Winstanley School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Winstanley School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Winstanley School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Winstanley School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Leicestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Winstanley School for 2017 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
92%
Near capacity
636 pupils
693 places
57 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
8,516
Applications
7,490
Got 1st preference
90.2%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All secondary applications across Leicestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
136
SEN Support
57
EHC Plans
30.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Winstanley School has a resourced provision (15 places, 21 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (15 places, 21 pupils on roll) for social, emotional and mental health needs.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
643
Total Pupils
316
Boys
327
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
45
Teachers
14.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,695
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,714
Per pupil
£5412k
Total funding
£292k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.4%
Overall absence
33.8%
Persistent absence
665
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Winstanley School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Winstanley School
What are GCSE results like at The Winstanley School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Winstanley School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 34.9. 23% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Winstanley School's Ofsted rating?
The Winstanley School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for The Winstanley School?
No fixed boundary. When The Winstanley School is oversubscribed, Leicestershire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Winstanley School?
The Winstanley School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 693 places.
How big are the classes at The Winstanley School?
Classes at The Winstanley School average 24.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Winstanley School?
The Winstanley School has around 643 pupils on roll. 41% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Winstanley School have specialist SEN provision?
The Winstanley School has a resourced provision (15 places, 21 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (15 places, 21 pupils on roll) for social, emotional and mental health needs.
What is attendance like at The Winstanley School?
12.4% of sessions were missed at The Winstanley School in 2024/25. 33.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Winstanley School?
Apply through Leicestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Winstanley School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near The Winstanley School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 3 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 The Winstanley School?
The Winstanley School is at Kingsway North, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE3 3BD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)