Garforth Academy

Garforth Academy is a large 11–18 secondary school and sixth form within Delta Academies Trust. This was its first routine inspection since 2013, and inspectors found a very strong school with no significant weaknesses. Pupils achieve highly across a broad, ambitious curriculum centred on the English Baccalaureate, including disadvantaged pupils, and teaching is consistently expert. Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported well, and pupils who struggle with reading catch up effectively. Behaviour and attitudes are excellent, pupils attend regularly, and relationships are strong. Personal development is a notable strength: pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment, leadership and community opportunities, and sixth-form students act as role models. The sixth form offers a rich range of qualifications, including T-levels, and students progress successfully into employment, training or further study. Leadership is strong across the school and trust, staff are well supported and trained, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Because the inspection took place under the new framework, the school did not receive an overall effectiveness grade, but it was judged outstanding in every key judgement.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve extremely well across a broad, academically demanding curriculum
• The English Baccalaureate is at the centre of the curriculum offer
• Teachers use the school's lesson structure consistently and explain new content clearly
• Teachers skilfully question pupils and address misconceptions effectively
• Pupils who are behind in reading receive carefully structured support to catch up
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported to access the same ambitious curriculum
• The sixth form offers a rich and diverse range of qualifications, including T-levels
• Pupils' behaviour and attitudes are excellent, with high self-control and respect
• Personal development is extensive, including enrichment, leadership and community opportunities
• Attendance is regular and absence rates are lower than the national average
• Staff are well supported, well trained and committed to the school
• Governance and trust oversight are effective
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

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 Garforth Academy attended 92.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.3% 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, 6.7% of pupils at Garforth Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Garforth Academy had 18.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.1% 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, 5.6% of pupils at Garforth Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.2% 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 Garforth Academy received £7,294 and spent £6,990 for each of its 1,882 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,507,000 (£801 per pupil).

Across all 62 schools of Delta Academies Trust, income was £7,459 and spending £7,562 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

Garforth Academy is part of Delta Academies Trust, which runs 62 schools. The nearest others:

• Green Lane Primary Academy Leeds
• East Garforth Primary Academy Leeds
• Park View Primary Academy Leeds
• Willow Green Academy Knottingley
• The Vale Primary Academy Knottingley
• Simpson's Lane Academy Knottingley
• England Lane Academy Knottingley
• De Lacy Academy Knottingley
• Manor Croft Academy Dewsbury
• Eastborough Academy Dewsbury

What is Garforth Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Garforth Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Garforth Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Garforth Academy was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Garforth Academy have?

Garforth Academy has 1,897 pupils on roll.

What age range does Garforth Academy cover?

Garforth Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Garforth Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.9, and 62% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Garforth Academy?

Garforth Academy is at Lidgett Lane, Garforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS25 1LJ.