John Smeaton Academy
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John Smeaton Academy is a sponsored academy in Leeds for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 677 pupils and room for 900. About 41 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 12 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 40% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.
Barwick Road, Leeds, LS15 8TA0113 831 3900johnsmeatonacademy.org.ukMr Andrew Moncur headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 30 April 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
112 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019† | 2018† | Leeds | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 112 | 147 | 149 | 157 | 139 | 128 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 29.5 | 32.5 | 34.9 | 34.8 | 31.3 | 37.3 | 45.8 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.90 | -0.85 | -0.80 | -1.09 | -0.65 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 14% | 27% | 23% | 23% | 22% | 30% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 35% | 42% | 46% | 46% | 38% | 51% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 2.57 | 2.85 | 2.92 | 3.14 | 2.70 | 2.98 | 4.12 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 58% | 50% | 21% | 69% | 42% | 9% | 50% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 23.4 | 24.7 | 24.3 | 26.5 | 24.6 | 27.7 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 35.5 | 40.5 | 43.1 | 40.4 | 37.4 | 44.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 18.3 | 21.9 | 24.7 | 14.6 | 18.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 50.4 | 49.3 | 57.6 | 48.1 | 55.0 | – | – |
† These results are for John Smeaton Academy, the school this one replaced in September 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Subjects
Results came out for 14 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Social Studies (0% here, 54% across England), Spanish (11% here, 54% across England), Mathematics (18% here, 53% across England), History (18% here, 52% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 107 | 5% | 18% | 41% | 53% | 3,188 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 107 | 8% | 26% | 45% | 54% | 3,123 of 3,210 |
| Combined Science | 98 | 2% | 11% | 22% | 36% | 2,951 of 3,084 |
| English Literature | 95 | 7% | 27% | 44% | 58% | 3,118 of 3,202 |
| Art and Design | 56 | 7% | 43% | 68% | 58% | 2,137 of 2,818 |
| History | 56 | 9% | 18% | 32% | 52% | 3,062 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 41 | 12% | 34% | 42% | 51% | 2,443 of 3,116 |
| Spanish | 38 | 3% | 11% | 21% | 54% | 1,922 of 1,941 |
| French | 27 | 4% | 37% | 41% | 60% | 1,689 of 1,974 |
| Drama | 20 | 5% | 35% | 65% | 60% | 736 of 844 |
| Social Studies | 18 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 54% | – |
| Computer Science | 16 | 6% | 25% | 44% | 56% | – |
| Religious Studies | 9 | 0% | 0% | 22% | 60% | – |
| Biology | 7 | 0% | 14% | 14% | 82% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
497 places were empty (45% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 11% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
How places were given out for September 2026.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 40 pupils, for speech, language and communication.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Leeds with speech, language and communication provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (39), emotional and mental health (36), Specific learning difficulty (25), language and communications needs (23), Moderate learning difficulty (10), Physical disability (8).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 677 | 610 | 604 | 638 | 668 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 41% | 42% | 45% | 47% | 42% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 10% | 9% | 8% | 11% | 6% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 14% | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 6% | 5% | 3% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 88.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 11.3% | 13.8% | 14.7% | 13.7% | 6.2% | 9.0% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.4% | 4.4% | 3.9% | 5.6% | 3.1% | 2.8% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 6.9% | 9.4% | 10.9% | 8.1% | 3.1% | 6.3% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 32.0% | 35.7% | 38.7% | 38.0% | 16.5% | 24.7% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 58.9 | 54.6 | 49.2 | 85.5 | – | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – |
† These attendance figures are for John Smeaton Academy, the school this one replaced in September 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 149 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 75%, compared with 92% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers |
|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 85% | 84% |
| Education | 74% | 73% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 3% |
| Work | 7% | 8% |
| Not in education, work or training | 11% | 10% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds East Academy | Academy | 1.1 miles | 967 | No overall grade 2024 | 2 | Compare |
| Temple Moor High School | Academy | 1.7 miles | 1,341 | Good 2023 | 63 | Compare |
| Bishop Young Church of England Academy | Academy | 1.7 miles | 777 | Good 2024 | 18 | Compare |
| Temple Learning Academy | Free school | 2.4 miles | 918 | Report card 2025 | 7 | Compare |
| Corpus Christi Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy | Academy | 2.4 miles | 784 | Requires improvement 2024 | 4 | Compare |
| Garforth Academy | Academy | 2.7 miles | 1,897 | No overall grade 2024 | 88 | Compare |
| Roundhay School | Council | 3.4 miles | 2,554 | Outstanding 2023 | 94 | Compare |
| Trinity Academy Leeds | Free school | 3.4 miles | 1,182 | Outstanding 2024 | 94 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares John Smeaton Academy with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than John Smeaton Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cockburn School | Academy | 6.4 miles | 1,248 | Outstanding 2022 | 86 | Compare |
| Outwood Academy Freeston | Academy | 8.4 miles | 993 | No overall grade 2025 | 34 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 12 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 12% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 8 to 17. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | well below | -0.28 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 112 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 2.4 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well below | -0.30 | DfE progress measure; 112 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | above | +0.07 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well below | -0.12 | 2024/25; 637 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.13 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 112 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | well below | -0.06 | 149 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is John Smeaton Academy a good school?
The figures are weak. John Smeaton Academy scores 12 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 40% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 8 to 17, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is John Smeaton Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated John Smeaton Academy good at its last full inspection on 30 April 2024.
How good are John Smeaton Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 14% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 29.5, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does John Smeaton Academy have?
677 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 900 places, so it is 75% full.
Is John Smeaton Academy oversubscribed?
Probably not. 497 places were empty in 2024/25 (45% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at John Smeaton Academy?
Pupils were in school 88.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 32% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at John Smeaton Academy?
The average class had 20.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. No class had more than 30 pupils.
Does John Smeaton Academy have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for speech, language and communication. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does John Smeaton Academy have a sixth form?
Yes.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Barwick Road, Leeds, LS15 8TA
- Telephone
- 0113 831 3900
- Website
- www.johnsmeatonacademy.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Andrew Moncur
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- The GORSE Academies Trust (15 schools)
- Local authority
- Leeds
- Ward
- Cross Gates & Whinmoor
- Constituency
- Leeds East
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2021 (fresh start)
- URN
- 148793 · LAESTAB 3834082 · UKPRN 10089402
- Formerly
- John Smeaton Academy
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Leeds council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.