Montrose School Review 2026: Aylestone primary with Forest School, strong music, and a clear routines culture

Montrose is a primary school, so the headline data point for most families is Key Stage 2. In 2024, 66.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 12% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%.

The component measures show a more uneven profile, which is useful for interpreting the overall picture. Reading expected standard is 61% (close to the combined figure), while maths and GPS expected standard sit at 72% each. Science expected standard is 72%. Scaled scores are 102 in reading, 104 in maths, and 105 in GPS, and the combined total score across reading, GPS and maths is 311.

Ranking context matters, because it helps explain how the school compares when multiple measures are rolled together. Montrose is ranked 10,347th in England for primary outcomes and 109th in Leicester in the FindMySchool results, which places it below England average overall in that composite view (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data).

What this means in practice is that there are clear strengths in maths and GPS, plus a combined expected standard rate that is above England average, but the overall profile still leaves room for improvement when results are benchmarked in aggregate against other schools nationally. Families should read this as “solid outcomes with specific stronger strands”, rather than a uniformly high-performing profile.

The school’s curriculum messaging stresses breadth and sequencing, with published progression maps and subject-specific guidance to show what is taught and how knowledge builds across year groups. For parents, this is often a proxy for consistency, it signals that teachers are planning to a shared spine rather than reinventing content class by class.

English is described in more operational detail than many primary websites manage. Early reading is taught through the ALS phonics programme, and the school describes regular assessment, decodable book matching in earlier phases, and continued intervention where needed. As pupils move into Key Stage 2, Montrose describes a combination of shared reading using a “rich and challenging class text” plus daily whole-class guided sessions using Bug Club Comprehension, with reading levels benchmarked using PM at points through the year.

Maths positioning is similarly explicit, framed as a core skill set linked to reasoning and curiosity, and supported by named internal routines such as Maths Badges and Number Day, plus Times Table Rock Stars. This kind of clear structure tends to suit children who do well with routine and incremental skill-building, especially where families can reinforce the same habits at home.

Montrose is primary-only, so the main transition point is Year 6 to Year 7. The school sets expectations clearly: pupils move on to a range of secondary schools, and securing a place depends on each school’s admissions criteria, such as catchment or other priorities. Families are advised to attend secondary open evenings, which are typically held in the autumn term prior to transfer.

For children with additional needs, the school describes transition as an active process rather than a single handover. The school’s SEND information highlights transition afternoons, themed days where children move into the next year-group setting, and taster mornings and transition days linked to the Year 6 to secondary move.

Montrose sits within Leicester City’s coordinated admissions system for Reception to Year 6, meaning applications for a Reception place are made through the local authority rather than directly through the school. For 2026 to 2027 entry, Leicester City Council states the online application window opens at 9am on 01 September 2025, with a closing date of 15 January 2026, and offers issued on 16 April 2026.

Demand data points to a school that is oversubscribed. There were 113 applications for 60 offers for the primary entry route, with 1.88. applications per place The ratio of first preferences to offers is 1.08, which suggests a meaningful core of families actively prioritising the school rather than listing it as a lower choice.

Nursery entry

Nursery admissions run differently. Montrose states that parents can apply for a nursery place directly to the school, and while applications can be made at any time, the school asks to receive forms by the end of February in the year a child is due to start, to be considered in the first round of acceptance letters. The school also sets out priorities for nursery places, including living within the priority area, siblings, and specific needs.

Montrose offers 26 nursery places in the morning and 26 in the afternoon, and describes 15-hour and 30-hour patterns within the Foundation Stage offer. (For nursery fee details, use the school’s official nursery admissions information, and check eligibility for government-funded hours.)

Pastoral support is framed as practical and joined-up. The SEND information describes a family support worker role, links to outside agencies where needed, and a weekly PSHE programme that includes emotional wellbeing, relationships, and healthy choices.

Behaviour expectations are described as clear and reinforced through adult role modelling and shared language. The most recent inspection report text supports a picture of positive relationships, pupils feeling safe, and staff providing sensitive support where pupils find behaviour expectations harder to meet.

For families, the key implication is that Montrose positions itself as an inclusive, routines-led school. Children who benefit from predictable expectations and calm adult consistency are likely to find this easier to settle into, especially in the early years and transition points.

Music is a standout pillar because it is described with unusual specificity. Key Stage 2 pupils take part in singing productions, and the school lists two choirs plus a string ensemble and wind group, described as free to attend. Instrumental tuition is offered from Year 3 upwards, with a published list that includes strings, piano, woodwind, brass, guitar, steel pans and drums, plus opportunities such as RockSteady for forming a band.

Outdoor learning is another defining feature, not just because the school has a field, but because it runs Forest School experiences and maintains the Montrose Ravine work as a structured learning resource. The ravine is described as developing from construction activity linked to the Great Central Way, with a lake and habitat features that support nature study.

Wraparound care is also concrete rather than generic. Montrose After School Club (MASC) is run by the school and offers two daily sessions from 3.15pm to 4.30pm and 4.30pm to 5.45pm, with the club based in a mobile classroom and designed to cover outdoor play, quieter reading space, and homework support where needed.

Published opening times are clear. Nursery runs a morning session 8.35am to 11.35am (Monday to Friday), with afternoon sessions for 30-hour places 11.20am to 3.05pm (Monday to Thursday). Reception to Year 6 runs 8.45am to 3.15pm.

For working families, wraparound care includes breakfast provision and the after-school club structure described above.

For travel, this is an Aylestone school on Wigston Lane, so most families will be thinking for walkability, cycling, and short car trips rather than long public-transport commutes. Parking and on-site access information is published for visitors, including where reception access sits relative to the car park.

• Oversubscription pressure. With 113 applications for 60 offers in the most recent cycle, competition is real. Families should plan on a realistic second preference, even if Montrose is the first choice.

• Results profile is mixed, depending on the measure. The combined expected standard is above England average, but the national ranking position sits lower overall in the composite view. This can suit families who want steady basics plus clear strengths in specific areas, rather than a uniformly top-ranked profile.

• Nursery admissions are a separate process. Nursery is applied for directly, with timing expectations (end of February in the year of entry) that do not match the local authority’s Reception timetable.

Montrose suits families who want a large primary with clear routines, strong music opportunities, and a meaningful outdoor learning dimension through Forest School and the Montrose Ravine work. Academic outcomes look solid in the combined Key Stage 2 measure, and the school’s published approach to reading and structured intervention will appeal to parents who value clarity about how literacy is taught.

Best suited to families in Aylestone and nearby areas who want wraparound care, a well-specified early years offer, and a school where values language is used to make behaviour expectations understandable for children. The main limitation is admission competition, which means planning early and applying strategically matters.