Lift Sir Herbert Leon

Sir Herbert Leon Academy has improved considerably since its previous inspection, when it was judged inadequate. Inspectors found a changed culture with higher expectations, calm and orderly behaviour, and a broad, ambitious curriculum that is helping current pupils achieve better than published 2023 results suggest. The school is now good in each of the four key judgements and no longer requires special measures; it is part of the LIFT Schools multi-academy trust. Pupils are well supported, including those with SEND, and reading is promoted strongly. Personal development is a notable strength: pupils learn about safety, careers and different cultures, feel known by staff, and take part in leadership roles, clubs, trips and sport. Safeguarding is effective, and leadership is focused on sustained improvement with appropriate trust challenge and support. Two main areas need further work. Attendance is still a significant concern for too many pupils, and the catch-up strategy for missed learning is not applied consistently. In a few subjects, checking of understanding and revisiting of earlier knowledge is less secure, and the number of pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate is low, particularly because too few study a modern foreign language, although the school is taking action.

Strengths

• Strong improvement in school culture and pupils' conduct, built on determination, respect, ambition and kindness.
• Broad and ambitious curriculum with knowledge sequenced to build understanding in most subjects.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge and explain new ideas clearly.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND, with teachers using specific strategies.
• A strong reading culture, including regular diverse texts and targeted catch-up for struggling readers.
• Calm and orderly behaviour, with consistent routines and prompt action when expectations are not met.
• Comprehensive personal, social and health education and a valued careers programme.
• Pupils feel known and supported and contribute through leadership roles, clubs, trips and sport.
• Leadership has sustained improvement, uses scrutiny well, and the trust provides challenge and targeted support.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance remains a significant issue for too many pupils, limiting their learning and progress.
• In a few subjects, teachers do not routinely check understanding or revisit earlier learning, leaving gaps.
• The school's catch-up strategy for pupils who miss learning is not consistently followed.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate is low, with too few studying a modern foreign language.

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 Lift Sir Herbert Leon attended 87.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 42.8% 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, 17.0% of pupils at Lift Sir Herbert Leon 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 Lift Sir Herbert Leon had 15.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 29.6% 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, 7.8% of pupils at Lift Sir Herbert Leon were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.0% 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 Lift Sir Herbert Leon received £10,331 and spent £9,928 for each of its 648 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £520,000 (£803 per pupil).

Across all 59 schools of Lift Schools, income was £8,746 and spending £8,644 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 Milton Keynes · Milton Keynes local authority: places and applications

Lift Sir Herbert Leon is part of Lift Schools, which runs 62 schools. The nearest others:

• Lift Charles Warren Milton Keynes
• Lift Trinity London
• Lift Aylward London
• Lift Noel Park London
• Lift Kingsley Hounslow
• Lift Beacon High London
• Lift Richmond Park London
• Lift Wishmore Woking
• Lift Newlands London
• Lift Bexleyheath Bexleyheath

What is Lift Sir Herbert Leon's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lift Sir Herbert Leon is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Lift Sir Herbert Leon last inspected by Ofsted?

Lift Sir Herbert Leon was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Lift Sir Herbert Leon have?

Lift Sir Herbert Leon has 589 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lift Sir Herbert Leon cover?

Lift Sir Herbert Leon for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Lift Sir Herbert Leon's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.6, and 47% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Lift Sir Herbert Leon?

Lift Sir Herbert Leon is at Fern Grove, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK2 3HQ.