Leeds West Academy

Leeds West Academy continues to uphold the strong standards established during its previous inspection, reflecting an environment where pupils feel happy, valued, and engaged in their learning. The school fosters an inclusive atmosphere through strong relationships and a culture that celebrates community, care, and commitment. Notable efforts have been made to enhance the curriculum, benefitting all students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Although improvements in pupil engagement and achievement are evident, there are concerns regarding the depth of knowledge some students are acquiring and the attendance rates of SEND pupils.

Strengths

• The school fosters a happy and inclusive environment.
• Pupils feel valued and appreciated as members of the school community.
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge and deliver an ambitious curriculum effectively.
• There is a vibrant approach to supporting pupils with SEND.
• The school has a well-organised reading support system.
• Behaviour is well-managed, with decreasing suspension rates.
• The school's personal development curriculum is extensive and effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not ensure secure understanding before advancing to more complex concepts.
• Attendance strategy has not sufficiently improved attendance of pupils with SEND.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Leeds West Academy attended 86.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 36.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 5.7% of pupils at Leeds West Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Leeds West Academy had 13.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 20.0% of pupils at Leeds West Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Leeds West Academy received £8,581 and spent £8,454 for each of its 1,454 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £587,000 (£404 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of White Rose Academies Trust, income was £9,308 and spending £9,306 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Leeds · Leeds local authority: places and applications

Leeds West Academy is part of White Rose Academies Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Leeds City Academy Leeds
• Alder Tree Primary Academy Leeds
• Leeds East Academy Leeds

What is Leeds West Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Leeds West Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Leeds West Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Leeds West Academy was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Leeds West Academy have?

Leeds West Academy has 1,432 pupils on roll.

What age range does Leeds West Academy cover?

Leeds West Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Leeds West Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.9, and 40% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Leeds West Academy?

Leeds West Academy is at Intake Lane, Rodley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS13 1DQ.