Boston Spa Academy

Boston Spa Academy is performing exceptionally well, achieving an overall effectiveness rating of Outstanding. This is the school's first inspection since becoming an academy in 2018, and the positive feedback highlights the school's nurturing environment, which fosters pupils' academic and personal growth. The commitment to high-quality education is evident in the comprehensive curriculum and extensive enrichment opportunities, contributing to students' high achievement and readiness for life beyond school.

Strengths

• Exceptional quality of education across all domains.
• Strong emphasis on positive relationships and a supportive atmosphere.
• High expectations fostering hard work and strong effort from pupils.
• Rich and varied enrichment program with over 80 clubs available.
• Excellent support for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Effective personal development program focusing on healthy relationships and safety.
• Strong leadership and management supporting staff well-being.

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 Boston Spa Academy attended 92.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.0% 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, 5.4% of pupils at Boston Spa 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 Boston Spa Academy had 16.6 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, 13.2% of pupils at Boston Spa Academy 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 Boston Spa Academy received £7,162 and spent £7,000 for each of its 1,458 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £457,000 (£314 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of The Gorse Academies Trust, income was £7,876 and spending £7,672 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 Wetherby · Leeds local authority: places and applications

Boston Spa Academy is part of The Gorse Academies Trust, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Bardsey Primary Academy Leeds
• John Smeaton Academy Leeds
• Hillcrest Academy Leeds
• Little London Academy Leeds
• Richmond Hill Academy Leeds
• Leeds Mathematics School Leeds
• The Ruth Gorse Academy Leeds
• Elliott Hudson College Leeds
• Ryecroft Academy Leeds
• The Farnley Academy Leeds

What is Boston Spa Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Boston Spa Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Boston Spa Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Boston Spa Academy was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Boston Spa Academy have?

Boston Spa Academy has 1,498 pupils on roll.

What age range does Boston Spa Academy cover?

Boston Spa Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Boston Spa Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 54.9, and 67% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Boston Spa Academy?

Boston Spa Academy is at Clifford Moor Road, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 6RW.