The Winstanley SchoolCastle Mead Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Leicester.
Summary of the comparison
The Winstanley School and Castle Mead Academy are secondary schools in Leicester.
The Winstanley School scores 42 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Castle Mead Academy scores 65 out of 100 (grade C, average). Castle Mead Academy is ahead on our composite score.
The Winstanley School was judged Good and Castle Mead Academy was judged Outstanding.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 34.9 for The Winstanley School and 46.3 for Castle Mead Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at The Winstanley School (35.1 in 2021-22, 34.9 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Castle Mead Academy (47.0 in 2023-24, 46.3 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | LeicesterThe Winstanley School | LeicesterCastle Mead Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D42/100 | C65/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 41st of 44 in Leicestershire | 10th of 21 in Leicester | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | |
| School type | Academy converter | Free schools | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 643 | 1,223 | |
| Capacity | 640 | 1,200 | |
| Location | Leicester, LE3 3BD | Leicester, LE3 5QT | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 34.9 | 46.3 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 23.0% | 46.4% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 38.9% | 66.4% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 113 | 235 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 639 | 1,240 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 43.4% | 45.2% | |
| English as an additional language | 22.4% | 44.2% | |
| SEN support | 25.8% | 16.2% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 7.2% | 2.7% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 12.4% | 9.3% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 33.8% | 23.0% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
The Winstanley School
Castle Mead Academy
Full profiles: The Winstanley School · Castle Mead Academy