Cockburn School

Cockburn School is performing exceptionally well, achieving an overall effectiveness rating of outstanding during its first inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school is deeply embedded in the community, with leaders showing remarkable ambition for all pupils and creating an environment where they feel safe, respected, and encouraged to excel. The curriculum is broad and rich, particularly notable in arts education, and all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, are well supported to succeed. The meticulous planning and delivery of the curriculum, along with a strong focus on behaviour and personal development, contribute to high-quality educational outcomes for pupils.

Strengths

• Exceptional leaders' ambition and support for pupils
• Highly effective and inclusive curriculum for all students
• Strong emphasis on positive behaviour and mutual respect
• Exceptional arts curriculum that engages pupils creatively
• Excellent safeguarding arrangements that ensure pupil safety
• Extensive extra-curricular activities linked to the curriculum

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 Cockburn School attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.6% 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, 5.4% of pupils at Cockburn School 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 Cockburn School had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.7% 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, 14.7% of pupils at Cockburn School 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 Cockburn School received £8,978 and spent £8,296 for each of its 1,279 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £10,835,000 (£8,471 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Cockburn Multi Academy Trust, income was £9,119 and spending £8,183 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

Cockburn School is part of Cockburn Multi Academy Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Cockburn John Charles Academy Leeds
• Middleton Primary School Leeds
• Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy Leeds
• Cockburn Ingram Road Academy Leeds
• Cockburn Haigh Road Academy Leeds

What is Cockburn School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cockburn School is Outstanding, from an inspection in April 2022.

When was Cockburn School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cockburn School was last inspected in April 2022.

How many pupils does Cockburn School have?

Cockburn School has 1,248 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cockburn School cover?

Cockburn School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Cockburn School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 51.2, and 56% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Cockburn School?

Cockburn School is at Parkside, Gipsy Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS11 5TT.