The new school year is coming in hot, and for more than 9,000 children across Leeds, so too is their transition to their brand new secondary school.
We’re now well into the summer holidays, but come September, schoolchildren across England will be called back to the classroom for the start of the 2025/26 school year. This will include a whole new cohort of recent primary school leavers moving on their next step - one of class schedules, exams, and qualifications.
Children and their parents alike may naturally be a little nervous about the change, and whether their new school will be the right fit for them. With this in mind, we’re looking at the best state-funded secondary schools across the Leeds City Council area, using our own special measure.
The key figure this is primarily based on is each school’s Progress 8 score, using the most recently available exam data (currently for 2023/24). These scores are an official metric showing how quickly pupils progressed compared to their peers, from when they left primary school to when they took their GCSEs. We’ve only included schools with a score in the ‘well above average’ band - the highest available. It’s also worth noting that this data has now been finalised, so results and placings may differ slightly from earlier reports based on interim results.
But performance and exam results certainly aren’t the only thing that shows a school is a great place to learn, so we’ve also made sure all schools on our list had positive ratings in their latest Ofsted inspections. These are going through some changes at the moment, but we’ve restricted our list to those with a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ overall grade under the previous system, or positive ratings across all categories under the current one. This means that quality of education, student behaviour and attitudes, school leadership and management, and safeguarding practices all met or exceeded official standards.
Here are the 12 local schools that made the grade:
1. The Ruth Gorse Academy
At the top of the list is this secondary academy in the central Leeds Dock area, which is also one of Yorkshire’s top performing secondary schools overall. It was most recently rated ‘outstanding’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 school year, it had a fantastic Progress 8 score of 0.99, placing it firmly in the ‘well above average’ band - the highest available. | Bruce Rollinson/National World
2. Allerton High School
Next up is this local authority-maintained secondary school and sixth form in Alwoodley, to the north of the city. It too was most recently rated ‘outstanding’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 school year, it had a ‘well above average’ Progress 8 score of 0.89. | National World
3. Mount St Mary's Catholic High School
Mount St Mary’s is a maintained Catholic secondary school in the East End Park area. In a recent Ofsted inspection, it was found to be ‘outstanding’ in all categories. In the 2023/24 school year, it had a ‘well above average’ Progress 8 score of 0.86. | National World
4. Cockburn School
This is a secondary academy in the Beeston area, most recently rated ‘outstanding’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 school year, it had a ‘well above average’ Progress 8 score of 0.72. | Google
5. Roundhay School
This is a local authority-maintained all-through school in the Roundhay area, most recently rated ‘outstanding’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 school year, it too had a ‘well above average’ Progress 8 score of 0.72. | Yorkshire Post Newspapers
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6. Abbey Grange Church of England Academy
Abbey Grange is an Anglican secondary academy and sixth form in the West Park area. It was most recently rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 school year, it had a ‘well above average’ Progress 8 score of 0.7. | Google