The City of Leicester College

The City of Leicester College is a highly inclusive and aspirational school where pupils flourish. Inspectors found strong standards across every area except post-16 provision, which is rated as expected standard. Pupils achieve well, consistently outperforming national averages at key stage 4, with disadvantaged pupils making significantly better progress than their peers nationally. The school's culture is characterised by kindness and mutual respect, attendance is above average, and behaviour is calm and purposeful. The curriculum is rich, ambitious and delivered consistently well, with precise support for pupils with SEND and other barriers to learning. Safeguarding standards are met, and leaders have created an open and positive safeguarding culture.

Strengths

• Pupils consistently outperform national averages in key stage 4 outcomes
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve significantly better outcomes than other disadvantaged pupils nationally
• Attendance is above the national average, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
• Pupils are happy, behave well and disruption is extremely rare
• The curriculum is rich, ambitious and underpinned by well-considered teaching strategies
• Inclusion sits at the heart of the school's work, with precise support for pupils with SEND and other barriers
• Personal development is central to the school's vision, with a well-planned programme developing character and citizenship
• The school provides a broad range of extra-curricular activities accessible to all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
• Leadership and governance are highly effective, with a shared vision and strong support from the trust
• Almost all pupils and sixth-form students move on to aspirational destinations in education, training or employment
• The specially resourced provision offers a highly positive learning experience for pupils with communication and interaction needs

Areas for Improvement

• Post-16 provision is rated at expected standard rather than strong, with attainment still close to average
• Leaders should ensure that progress and attainment in the sixth form continue to improve

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 The City of Leicester College attended 92.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.9% 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, 4.6% of pupils at The City of Leicester College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 The City of Leicester College had 16.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.8% 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, 10.7% of pupils at The City of Leicester College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has a SEN unit with 11 pupils.

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 The City of Leicester College received £7,844 and spent £7,582 for each of its 1,571 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,659,000 (£1,692 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Aspire Learning Partnership, income was £8,990 and spending £7,963 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 Leicester · Leicester local authority: places and applications

The City of Leicester College is part of Aspire Learning Partnership, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Taylor Road Primary School Leicester
• Soar Valley College Leicester

What is The City of Leicester College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The City of Leicester College is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was The City of Leicester College last inspected by Ofsted?

The City of Leicester College was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does The City of Leicester College have?

The City of Leicester College has 1,499 pupils on roll.

What age range does The City of Leicester College cover?

The City of Leicester College for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are The City of Leicester College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.3, and 50% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The City of Leicester College?

The City of Leicester College is at Downing Drive, Evington, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 6LN.