Ellesmere College is a council-run special school in Leicester for children and young people aged 4 to 19. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 6 other needs.
- Ages 4–19
- 441 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 441 (places for 426)
- Headteacher
- Principal Stephanie Beale (Co-Principal)
- Opened
- 1 September 1995
- Free school meals
- 49% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Leicester
- School reference (URN)
- 130371
Needs it supports
9 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 7 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Leicester (17)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Leicester (16)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Leicester (3)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Leicester (4)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Leicester (4)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment
- Visual impairment
- Multi-sensory impairment
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Leicester council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Report card, May 2026: Expected standard in 4 of 7 areas
Inspected in May 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- Post-16Strong standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- SafeguardingMet
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, May 2022).
Contact and getting there
40 Braunstone Lane East, Leicester, LE3 2FD
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Kingsway Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 5–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.9 miles
- The Winstanley School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.9 miles
- Imperial Avenue Infant School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–7 · Ofsted: Good 1.0 mile
By need in Leicester: Autism (18) · Speech and language (17) · SEMH (5) · Severe learning (5) · Moderate learning (4) · PMLD (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about Ellesmere College
How do I get a place at Ellesmere College?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Ellesmere College. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Ellesmere College support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulty and severe learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Ellesmere College take?
Aged 4 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Ellesmere College’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2026 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Ellesmere College?
40 Braunstone Lane East, Leicester, LE3 2FD, in Leicester.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.