The Morley Academy

The Morley Academy is performing exceptionally well. Inspectors found an outstanding quality of education, with a broad and challenging curriculum, highly trained teachers and strong outcomes for pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Pupils behave well, attend regularly, feel safe and benefit from harmonious staff–pupil relationships; bullying is rare and dealt with quickly. Reading is given a high profile and support for pupils with SEND is well understood and carefully coordinated. Personal development is a major strength. Pupils access a rigorous PSHE programme, dedicated 'Be SMART' days and a wide range of clubs, trips, performances and pupil-leadership opportunities, including international visits and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Leadership is exemplary, with effective oversight from the trust and local governing body, and staff are proud to work at the school. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2013, when it was previously judged outstanding and exempt from routine inspection. Since September 2024 schools no longer receive an overall effectiveness grade. The school is part of The Gorse Academies Trust and currently educates pupils aged 11 to 16; its sixth form is not currently operating. No areas for improvement were identified.

Strengths

• Broad, challenging curriculum with strong EBacc uptake and modern foreign language participation
• Expert teaching supported by well-sequenced schemes of learning
• Effective assessment and questioning that checks learning and addresses misconceptions
• Strong outcomes for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
• Well-coordinated SEND support with close liaison with pupils and families
• High-profile reading strategy with dedicated lessons and cross-curricular reinforcement
• Excellent pupil behaviour, high attendance and a safe school environment
• Rigorous personal development and PSHE, including 'Be SMART' days
• Extensive clubs, trips, performances and Duke of Edinburgh participation
• Exemplary leadership with effective trust and governance oversight
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

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 The Morley Academy attended 92.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 18.6% 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, 6.2% of pupils at The Morley 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 The Morley Academy had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.7% 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, 16.8% of pupils at The Morley Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.8% 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 The Morley Academy received £9,111 and spent £8,226 for each of its 1,424 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,244,000 (£874 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of The Gorse Academies Trust, income was £7,876 and spending £7,672 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

The Morley Academy is part of The Gorse Academies Trust, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Bruntcliffe Academy Leeds
• Morley Newlands Academy Leeds
• Elliott Hudson College Leeds
• The Farnley Academy Leeds
• Ryecroft Academy Leeds
• The Ruth Gorse Academy Leeds
• Leeds Mathematics School Leeds
• Richmond Hill Academy Leeds
• Little London Academy Leeds
• Hillcrest Academy Leeds

What is The Morley Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Morley Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in October 2024.

When was The Morley Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Morley Academy was last inspected in October 2024.

How many pupils does The Morley Academy have?

The Morley Academy has 1,410 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Morley Academy cover?

The Morley Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Morley Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 55.1, and 62% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Morley Academy?

The Morley Academy is at Fountain Street, Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS27 0PD.