Leeds City Academy

Leeds City Academy has maintained the high standards set at its previous inspection, demonstrating effective leadership and a strong commitment to pupil success. The inclusive environment fosters a sense of belonging among students, who are engaged and proud to be part of the school community. The curriculum is ambitious and designed to promote important skills, with tailored support for pupils who speak English as an additional language, resulting in impressive outcomes. Despite these strengths, the school must address the high persistent absence rates among some students to ensure they do not miss crucial learning opportunities.

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in a happy and inclusive environment.
• High expectations lead to impressive behaviour and engagement.
• Ambitious curriculum supports knowledge and skill development.
• Exceptional support for pupils who speak English as an additional language.
• Strong focus on personal development through the 'DNA' curriculum.
• Pupils are well-prepared for life beyond school.

Areas for Improvement

• Persistent absence of some pupils remains high, impacting learning.

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 City Academy attended 89.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 37.0% 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, 10.3% of pupils at Leeds City 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 City Academy had 14.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.6% 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, 18.2% of pupils at Leeds City Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 0.9% 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 City Academy received £10,759 and spent £10,732 for each of its 1,038 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £419,000 (£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 City Academy is part of White Rose Academies Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Alder Tree Primary Academy Leeds
• Leeds West Academy Leeds
• Leeds East Academy Leeds

What is Leeds City Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Leeds City Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Leeds City Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Leeds City Academy was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Leeds City Academy have?

Leeds City Academy has 1,009 pupils on roll.

What age range does Leeds City Academy cover?

Leeds City Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Leeds City Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 36.3, and 26% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Leeds City Academy?

Leeds City Academy is at Bedford Field, Woodhouse Cliff, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS6 2LG.