The Cedars Academy is a mainstream secondary school with an SEN unit in Leicester, Leicestershire, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. Its SEN unit has 30 places for speech, language and communication.
- Ages 11–18
- 985 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with an SEN unit
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- An SEN unit, 30 places, 26 pupils
- Pupils
- 985
- Headteacher
- Mrs Laura Sanchez (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Lionheart Educational Trust
- Council
- Leicestershire
- School reference (URN)
- 140787
Needs its base supports
1 need: speech and language
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Leicestershire (14)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with 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 about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Leicestershire council) that you want this school and its base, 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. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
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
Rated Good, January 2018; school remains Good (March 2023)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in January 2018. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, March 2023).
Contact and getting there
Wanlip Lane, Birstall, Leicester, LE4 4GH
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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
- ALP Leicester Independent · Ages 6–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.2 miles
- Sandfield Close Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 1.4 miles
- Rushey Mead Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.9 miles
All SEND schools in Leicestershire
By need in Leicestershire: Autism (20) · Speech and language (15) · Moderate learning (12) · SEMH (8) · Severe learning (7) · Multi-sensory (7) · Hearing (6) · Vision (6) · PMLD (5) · Dyslexia and SpLD (5) · Physical (5)
Questions about The Cedars Academy
How do I get a place in The Cedars Academy’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does The Cedars Academy support?
Speech, language and communication. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does The Cedars Academy take?
Aged 11 to 18, boys and girls.
What is The Cedars Academy’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2023 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 The Cedars Academy?
Wanlip Lane, Birstall, Leicester, LE4 4GH, in Leicestershire.
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.