Laisterdyke Leadership Academy

Laisterdyke Leadership Academy is demonstrating significant improvement across multiple areas since its last inspection. The school has undergone substantial changes under the leadership of the headteacher and trust leaders, resulting in a more positive learning environment. Pupils report that behavior has improved markedly, contributing to a calmer atmosphere in classrooms. The school is now providing a broader curriculum with improved quality of education, though the latest Year 11 cohort did not fully benefit from these enhancements in their examinations.

Strengths

• Strong leadership has driven improvement in the quality of education.
• Pupils feel safe and supported by caring staff.
• Significant improvement in pupils' behavior.
• Broad range of subjects available for pupils to choose from.
• High-quality professional development for teachers.
• Effective strategies in place to enhance reading skills among pupils.
• Good understanding of SEND needs and effective support plans.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent learning in a very small number of subjects.
• Overreliance on teacher support can limit pupils' independence.
• Low participation in extra-curricular activities by some pupils.

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 Laisterdyke Leadership Academy attended 89.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.9% 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, 8.2% of pupils at Laisterdyke Leadership 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 Laisterdyke Leadership Academy had 23.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.1% 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, 21.1% of pupils at Laisterdyke Leadership Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.4% 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 Laisterdyke Leadership Academy received £8,800 and spent £8,396 for each of its 887 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,641,000 (£1,850 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of Star Academies, income was £8,430 and spending £8,333 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 Bradford · Bradford local authority: places and applications

Laisterdyke Leadership Academy is part of Star Academies, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy Bradford
• Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy Bradford
• Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy Bradford
• Tong Leadership Academy Bradford
• Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Bradford Bradford
• High Crags Primary Leadership Academy Shipley
• The Valley Leadership Academy Bacup
• Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School Rossendale
• Oulder Hill Leadership Academy Rochdale
• The Olive School, Manchester Manchester

What is Laisterdyke Leadership Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Laisterdyke Leadership Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Laisterdyke Leadership Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Laisterdyke Leadership Academy was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Laisterdyke Leadership Academy have?

Laisterdyke Leadership Academy has 889 pupils on roll.

What age range does Laisterdyke Leadership Academy cover?

Laisterdyke Leadership Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Laisterdyke Leadership Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 38.1, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Laisterdyke Leadership Academy?

Laisterdyke Leadership Academy is at Thornbury Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD3 8HE.