Leeds City Academy
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Leeds City Academy is a sponsored academy in Leeds for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,009 pupils and room for 1,050. About 62 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 44 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 64% of the 50 schools most like it.
Bedford Field, Woodhouse Cliff, Leeds, LS6 2LG0113 284 4260leedscityacademy.org.ukMr Richard Chattoe principalAll details
Ofsted
Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
214 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 | 214 | 154 | 149 | 141 | 94 | 96 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 38.3 | 39.8 | 35.7 | 37.5 | 34.4 | 37.1 | 45.8 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.42 | +0.32 | +0.04 | – | – | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 34% | 30% | 20% | 25% | 19% | 23% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 48% | 48% | 41% | 43% | 35% | 43% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.39 | 3.45 | 3.23 | 3.36 | 3.01 | 3.28 | 4.12 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 27% | 25% | 60% | 57% | 29% | 36% | 50% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 32.6 | 36.0 | 32.4 | 36.2 | 34.0 | 35.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 45.0 | 44.7 | 39.9 | 39.0 | 34.8 | 38.4 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 29.3 | 26.7 | 31.5 | 26.4 | 26.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 64.5 | – | 48.1 | 55.9 | – | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 17 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.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Computer Science (15% here, 56% across England), Business (17% here, 51% across England), Geography (28% here, 51% across England), Mathematics (39% here, 53% 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 | 211 | 10% | 39% | 53% | 53% | 2,497 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 205 | 11% | 50% | 62% | 54% | 1,794 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 198 | 10% | 47% | 63% | 58% | 2,290 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 175 | 6% | 27% | 41% | 36% | 2,081 of 3,084 |
| History | 114 | 16% | 40% | 51% | 52% | 2,281 of 3,126 |
| Computer Science | 94 | 5% | 15% | 28% | 56% | 1,809 of 1,861 |
| Business | 92 | 0% | 17% | 26% | 51% | 1,712 of 1,806 |
| Geography | 89 | 8% | 28% | 44% | 51% | 2,695 of 3,116 |
| Other Modern Languages | 71 | 38% | 48% | 51% | 49% | 329 of 454 |
| Art and Design | 58 | 5% | 45% | 79% | 58% | 2,056 of 2,818 |
| Social Studies | 47 | 13% | 51% | 70% | 54% | 588 of 1,043 |
| Spanish | 32 | 38% | 66% | 78% | 54% | 597 of 1,941 |
| Religious Studies | 27 | 15% | 59% | 82% | 60% | 1,022 of 1,825 |
| Biology | 27 | 26% | 82% | 96% | 82% | 1,571 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 26 | 35% | 89% | 96% | 81% | 1,187 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 26 | 31% | 100% | 100% | 82% | 380 of 2,546 |
| Design & Technology | 7 | 0% | 14% | 43% | 50% | – |
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. 1 of the 3 gaps is 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.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 18% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (72), emotional and mental health (52), language and communications needs (42), Autistic spectrum disorder (11), Hearing impairment (7), Physical disability (6).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,009 | 1,034 | 984 | 922 | 877 | 797 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 63% | 55% | 50% | 50% | 48% | 44% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 72% | 71% | 71% | 70% | 69% | 71% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 16% | 14% | 15% | 15% | 12% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.6% 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 | 10.4% | 10.6% | 11.2% | 11.3% | 10.8% | 5.6% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.3% | 4.4% | 3.5% | 4.4% | 3.9% | 2.6% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 5.2% | 6.2% | 7.7% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 3.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 37.0% | 38.7% | 40.2% | 38.9% | 35.3% | 16.7% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 18.5 | 32.0 | 27.4 | 18.4 | 4.4 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
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 73%, compared with 78% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 75% | 82% | 77% | 81% |
| Education | 74% | 78% | 75% | 79% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 3% | 0% | 1% |
| Work | 1% | 1% | 2% | 1% |
| Not in education, work or training | 11% | 9% | 15% | 6% |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dixons Trinity Chapeltown | Free school | 1.1 miles | 960 | Outstanding 2021 | 73 | Compare |
| Adel Beck | Secure units | 1.1 miles | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Carr Manor Community School | Foundation | 1.2 miles | 1,541 | No overall grade 2025 | 85 | Compare |
| Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School | Roman Catholic | 1.5 miles | 916 | Good 2023 | 85 | Compare |
| Co-op Academy Leeds | Academy | 1.8 miles | 974 | Good 2022 | 9 | Compare |
| Lawnswood School | Council | 2.0 miles | 1,307 | Good 2023 | 29 | Compare |
| Roundhay School | Council | 2.0 miles | 2,554 | Outstanding 2023 | 94 | Compare |
| The Ruth Gorse Academy | Free school | 2.1 miles | 1,265 | Outstanding 2023 | 93 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Leeds City 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 Leeds City 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 John Charles Academy | Academy | 3.7 miles | 1,169 | Report card 2026 | 68 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 44 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 44% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 33 to 54. 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% | below | -0.25 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 214 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 0% | no data | – | |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.16 | DfE progress measure; 214 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.21 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.11 | 2024/25; 1,120 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | above | +0.05 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 214 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | well below | -0.16 | 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 Leeds City Academy a good school?
It is about average. Leeds City Academy scores 44 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 64% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 33 to 54, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
How good are Leeds City Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 34% 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 38.3, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Leeds City Academy have?
1,009 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,050 places, so it is 96% full.
Is Leeds City Academy oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at Leeds City Academy?
Pupils were in school 89.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 37% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Leeds City Academy?
The average class had 18.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 2% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Leeds City Academy have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 75% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Bedford Field, Woodhouse Cliff, Leeds, LS6 2LG
- Telephone
- 0113 284 4260
- Website
- www.leedscityacademy.org.uk
- Principal
- Mr Richard Chattoe
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- White Rose Academies Trust (4 schools)
- Local authority
- Leeds
- Ward
- Headingley & Hyde Park
- Constituency
- Leeds Central and Headingley
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 August 2014 (new provision)
- URN
- 139646 · LAESTAB 3834061 · UKPRN 10041526
- Formerly
- City of Leeds School
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.