Cockburn John Charles Academy

Overall, Cockburn John Charles Academy is a highly effective school. It serves a very diverse and disadvantaged community, including many pupils who arrive with achievement below national averages, a high number with SEND support, and many pupils with English as an additional language. Despite these typically low starting points, pupils make excellent progress, especially disadvantaged pupils, and published Progress 8 measures are above national averages. Pupils also produce high-quality work, develop reading fluency quickly, and are well prepared for their next steps. Behaviour is excellent, classrooms are calm and purposeful, and pupils show kindness and respect. The curriculum is carefully tailored to the local context and pupils' needs, teaching is consistently highly effective, and inclusion is a major strength, with bespoke and effective support for pupils with additional needs, including EAL. Leadership and governance are strong, staff feel well supported, and personal development, careers education, clubs and the arts are rich and well received. Safeguarding standards are met. The main next step is to continue the relentless drive to improve attendance.

Strengths

• Pupils make excellent progress from typically low starting points, especially disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils at early stages of reading quickly develop fluency, supporting achievement in other subjects.
• Pupils produce high-quality work and can recall current and prior learning in detail.
• Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are consistently well prepared for their next steps.
• A robust, evidence-informed attendance strategy uses tailored support to reduce persistent absence.
• Pupils' behaviour is excellent, with kindness, courtesy and a calm, purposeful learning culture.
• Bullying and discrimination are rare and dealt with effectively when they occur.
• The curriculum is tailored to the local area and pupils' needs, including a focus on digital literacy.
• Teaching is consistently highly effective, with strong subject knowledge and clear modelling.
• Reading and vocabulary are prioritised sharply across all areas of the curriculum.
• Teachers skilfully adapt the curriculum so pupils with additional needs, including EAL, can access learning.
• The school is extremely inclusive and celebrates its diverse community.
• Pupils with the highest level of need receive bespoke, individualised support.
• Pupil premium funding is used very effectively, helping disadvantaged pupils achieve and attend well.
• Leaders care deeply and make decisions in the best interests of pupils.
• Governance meets statutory responsibilities and has detailed knowledge of the school.
• Staff feel well supported, with wellbeing and workload considered in decision-making.
• Professional development is highly effective through a three-tier approach.
• The personal development programme is tailored and helps pupils celebrate diversity and mutual respect.
• Pupils access a wide range of well-attended clubs and a vibrant arts programme.
• Careers education is a priority, with bespoke support helping pupils reach high-quality destinations.
• Pastoral and mental health support is available and pupils know how to access it.
• Pupils feel safe, have a sense of belonging, and enjoy coming to school.
• Pupil leaders act as role models and have a positive impact on pupil wellbeing.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance requires continued focus, particularly persistent absence, despite recent improvements.

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 John Charles Academy attended 91.1% 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, 6.2% of pupils at Cockburn John Charles 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 Cockburn John Charles Academy had 15.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.2% 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, 21.6% of pupils at Cockburn John Charles Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.1% 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 John Charles Academy received £10,879 and spent £9,296 for each of its 1,203 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £10,975,000 (£9,123 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 John Charles Academy is part of Cockburn Multi Academy Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

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

What is Cockburn John Charles Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cockburn John Charles Academy is Strong standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Cockburn John Charles Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Cockburn John Charles Academy was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Cockburn John Charles Academy have?

Cockburn John Charles Academy has 1,169 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cockburn John Charles Academy cover?

Cockburn John Charles Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Cockburn John Charles Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.7, and 33% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Cockburn John Charles Academy?

Cockburn John Charles Academy is at Old Run Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 2JU.