Cockburn School, Leeds
Cockburn School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Leeds, part of Cockburn Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2022. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 12th-highest of the 37 schools in Leeds with published results, and 825th of 3,298 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Well above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Leeds (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Cockburn School in detail
Cockburn School in its own words
In its own words: "Now we begin the final term of the academic year 2026-27. I am delighted to be welcoming all of our students back in September 2026 for another term at Cockburn School. Another period of new learning, challenges and experiences that will shape the future of our students, parents/carers and staff."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Cockburn School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 51.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.7 in Leeds and 47 across England.
56% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 48% in Leeds and 47% in England.
That is up from 49.1 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.72: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 41.5, against 57.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.9 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Sports Studies and Multimedia.
Getting a place at Cockburn School
For September 2026 entry, 285 families put Cockburn School as their first choice and 892 named it as one of their preferences, for 295 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 31 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Cockburn School are Cockburn John Charles Academy (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.7); Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.8); University Technical College Leeds (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.7); and The Morley Academy (2.3 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 55.1).
Cockburn School's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Cockburn John Charles AcademyCockburn Laurence Calvert AcademyUniversity Technical College LeedsThe Morley Academy
The trust
Cockburn School is one of 6 schools run by Cockburn Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 228 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 81% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 32% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.
Who goes there
39.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 183 pupils (14.7%) received SEN support and 19 (1.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Cottingley Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cockburn High School, 20 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Cockburn School issued 127 suspensions, 9.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Cockburn School are St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, Beeston (0.8 miles); St Philip's Catholic Primary School (0.9 miles); Hugh Gaitskell Primary School (0.9 miles); and Westwood Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, BeestonSt Philip's Catholic Primary SchoolHugh Gaitskell Primary SchoolWestwood Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 5 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its February 2022 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Cockburn School is a mixed secondary school located in the Beeston area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
39.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from 0.61 to 0.72 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 48.1 to 51.2 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 49% to 56% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 51.2 | 55.8% |
| Disadvantaged(90) | - | 41.5 | 42.2% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(143) | - | 57.4 | 64.3% |
| Boys(127) | - | 48.7 | 53.5% |
| Girls(106) | - | 54.3 | 58.5% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(41) | - | 50.7 | 63.4% |
| Non mobile(226) | - | 52.1 | 57.5% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 228 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
127
Suspensions
9.95%
Suspension rate
69 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,277 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Cockburn School
Term dates
Cockburn School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Leeds's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cockburn School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cockburn School is in Leeds; for families living there:
Apply to Leeds for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Leeds is 18.5 (the median across 308 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Cockburn School
Will you get a place at Cockburn School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Cockburn School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Cockburn School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Cockburn School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Leeds, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Cockburn School for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Leeds got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
1,268 pupils
1,270 places
2 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Leeds
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leeds
Across Leeds council
Places available
10,015
Applications
9,313
Got 1st preference
83.2%
Got preferred school
95.4%
All secondary applications across Leeds council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
183
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
16.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,248
Total Pupils
603
Boys
645
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
79
Teachers
15.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,597
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,602
Per pupil
£10534k
Total funding
£527k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.2%
Overall absence
21.6%
Persistent absence
1,303
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Cockburn School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Cockburn School
What are GCSE results like at Cockburn School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Cockburn School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 51.2. 56% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Cockburn School's Ofsted rating?
Cockburn School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2014 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Cockburn School?
No fixed boundary. When Cockburn School is oversubscribed, Leeds allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Cockburn School?
Cockburn School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Cockburn School?
Classes at Cockburn School average 24.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Cockburn School?
Cockburn School has around 1248 pupils on roll. 40% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Cockburn School?
8.2% of sessions were missed at Cockburn School in 2024/25. 21.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cockburn School?
Apply through Leeds's coordinated admissions process, naming Cockburn School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Cockburn School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Leeds is 18.5 (the median across 308 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cockburn School?
Cockburn School is at Parkside, Gipsy Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS11 5TT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)