Leigh Church of England Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 June 2026

Pupils at Leigh Church of England Academy are happy, friendly and curious. Staff warmly welcome pupils as they enter school. Where pupils need extra help to be ready to learn, they take part in sensory circuits or nurture support at the start of the day. As a result, pupils across the school listen well, work hard and settle quickly into their learning. They enjoy their lessons and have positive relationships with staff. The school is a safe space for all. It is a focal point for the community. Pupils trust the adults that work with them and know that they will help them when they experience challenges. Pupils say they feel known, valued and accepted. They say bullying is rare. When pupils experience difficulties affecting their wellbeing, staff support them effectively. This helps reduce these barriers, so pupils feel they belong. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities access effective support so they thrive. Younger pupils secure the important reading, writing and mathematics knowledge they need to be ready for the next stage. However, many older pupils still have gaps in their knowledge. This means they are not as well prepared for secondary education as they need to be. Nevertheless, pupils have the broader personal, social, health and economic knowledge they need for success outside the school gates. Too many pupils do not yet attend well. However, leaders provide lots of help to these pupils and families. Pupils access many experiences and opportunities that enrich their school lives. Everyone takes part. Where pupils show talents or interests, leaders help them to access pathways to nurture this. Pupils trust the adults that work with them and know they will deal with any issues quickly and effectively.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that foundational knowledge is well embedded so that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, can consistently achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Leaders should continue to embed attendance procedures so that attendance improves, persistent absence reduces and pupils do not miss essential learning time.
• Leaders should ensure that staff design tasks precisely matched to the learning needs and starting points of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, so that pupils achieve the intended outcomes of the ambitious curriculum.
• Leaders should ensure that staff interactions with children are consistently maximised so that children benefit fully from high-quality modelled language across all areas of learning in the early years.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)