Thurnby Mead Primary Academy, Leicester
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Leicester, part of The Mead Educational Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 133rd-highest of the 138 schools in Leicester with published results, and 13,535th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 109% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- 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 Leicester (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy in detail
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy in its own words
In its own words: "At Thurnby Mead, our aim is to provide every child with the opportunity to achieve their potential and to participate in all areas of school life. We recognise that some children may need extra support at some time and we endeavour to meet all needs."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, gymnastics and multi-sports.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 54% of Year 6 pupils at Thurnby Mead Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 57% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 75% in Leicester and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 82% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Thurnby Mead Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Thurnby Mead Primary Academy as their first choice and 52 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 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 Thurnby Mead Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Thurnby Mead Primary Academy are Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 81% reading, 78% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 61% reading, 71% maths); Krishna Avanti Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 86% reading, 86% maths); and Scraptoft Valley Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 53% reading, 50% maths).
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Willowbrook Mead Primary AcademySt Joseph's Catholic AcademyKrishna Avanti Primary SchoolScraptoft Valley Primary School
The trust
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy is one of 16 schools run by The Mead Educational Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
23 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Thurnby Mead Primary Academy (as of September 2025): 83% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Who goes there
54.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (66%), White British (20%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 29 pupils (11.7%) received SEN support and 26 (10.5%) 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.
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 20 places, 20 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leicester Rail Station, about 2.7 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Thurnby Mead Academy (opposite), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Thurnby Mead Primary Academy are St Paul's Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy (0.7 miles); The City of Leicester College (0.8 miles); Orchard Mead Academy (1.1 miles); and Judgemeadow Community College (1.1 miles).
St Paul's Catholic School, a Voluntary AcademyThe City of Leicester CollegeOrchard Mead AcademyJudgemeadow Community College
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; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from September 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Thurnby Mead creates a secure and supportive environment where children develop a real love of learning. Teachers are skilled at building strong relationships and using techniques to help pupils think deeply about their work. The school provides exciting experiences like zoo trips and museum visits that broaden children's knowledge, while carefully nurturing character traits like resilience and independence.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with expert phonics teaching and rapid progress for all pupils
- Ambitious and broad curriculum with carefully identified knowledge for pupils to learn
- Excellent behaviour and attendance with clear expectations and effective reward systems
- Inclusive environment with specialist provision well integrated through teaching all pupils Makaton
- Strong personal development provision helping pupils understand healthy relationships and make wise decisions
Areas for Improvement
- In subjects being reviewed, some teachers lack the knowledge and expertise needed, and learning activities are not focused enough on what pupils need to learn
- Expectations for quality, presentation and handwriting across the wider curriculum are sometimes too low
- Inconsistency in handwriting expectations across different subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders maintaining an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Zoo trips, city farm visits, museum trips, arboretum visits, outdoor activity centre, cultural assemblies, social projects, play leader roles
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy is a welcoming and inclusive primary school where pupils are happy and thrive. The school has maintained good standards since its previous inspection, with effective action taken to support pupil achievement and wellbeing.
At a Glance
24.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Speech and language
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
23 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 82% to 54% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 82% to 57% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 79% to 66% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.5
Avg class size
24.0
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
6
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Thurnby Mead Primary Academy
From Thurnby Mead Primary Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Thurnby Mead Primary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Thurnby Mead Primary Academy.
- Premier Education at St Josephs870m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thurnby Mead Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thurnby Mead Primary Academy 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 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 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 Thurnby Mead Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Thurnby Mead Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Thurnby Mead Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Thurnby Mead Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Thurnby Mead Primary Academy.
- Leicester publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Thurnby Mead Primary Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Thurnby Mead Primary Academy for 2017 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
109%
Over capacity
228 pupils
210 places
18 pupils over capacity 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
29
SEN Support
26
EHC Plans
22.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 20 places, 20 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
248
Total Pupils
136
Boys
112
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,456
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,813
Per pupil
£1474k
Total funding
£91k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
11.7%
Persistent absence
205
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 Thurnby Mead Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Thurnby Mead Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Thurnby Mead Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 54% reached the expected standard in reading and 57% did so in maths.
What is Thurnby Mead Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Thurnby Mead Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Thurnby Mead Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Leicester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Thurnby Mead Primary Academy?
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy was full in 2025, at 109% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Thurnby Mead Primary Academy?
Classes at Thurnby Mead Primary Academy average 25.5 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 Thurnby Mead Primary Academy?
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy has around 248 pupils on roll. 25% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Thurnby Mead Primary Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 20 places, 20 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Thurnby Mead Primary Academy?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Thurnby Mead Primary Academy in 2024/25. 11.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Thurnby Mead Primary Academy?
Apply through Leicester's coordinated admissions process, naming Thurnby Mead Primary Academy 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 Thurnby Mead Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Thurnby Mead Primary Academy: Premier Education at St Josephs (870m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Thurnby Mead Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 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 Leicester is 24.5 (the median across 142 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Thurnby Mead Primary Academy?
Thurnby Mead Primary Academy is at Dudley Avenue, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 2EG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)