Lancaster Academy, Leicester
Lancaster Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Leicester, part of Learning Without Limits Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2024. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 35th-highest of the 35 schools in Leicester with published results, and 3,212th of 3,298 across England. It was 85% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Leicester (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Lancaster Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Lancaster Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 32.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.1 in Leicester and 47 across England.
20% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Leicester and 47% in England.
That is down from 37.5 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.65: pupils made well below 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 25, against 37.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.7 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 26 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Religious Studies and Art and Design.
Getting a place at Lancaster Academy
For September 2026 entry, 88 families put Lancaster Academy as their first choice and 190 named it as one of their preferences, for 156 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Lancaster Academy are Sir Jonathan North Girls' College (0.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 52.9); Tudor Grange Samworth Academy, A church of England School (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.7); Wigston Academy (1.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.4); and Wigston College (1.7 miles, Good).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Lancaster Academy.
Sir Jonathan North Girls' CollegeTudor Grange Samworth Academy, A church of England SchoolWigston AcademyWigston College
The trust
Lancaster Academy is one of 5 schools run by Learning Without Limits Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 37.1 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 200 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 82% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 35% to a further education college and 3% into work.
Who goes there
42.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 43.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (27%), White British (23%) and Black (21%).
In 2026, 96 pupils (10.9%) received SEN support and 26 (2.9%) 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.
Lancaster Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 20 places, 6 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is South Wigston Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lancaster School (adjacent), 160 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lancaster Academy issued 109 suspensions, 11.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Lancaster Academy are Overdale Junior School (0.6 miles), Overdale Infant School (0.6 miles), Marriott Primary School (0.6 miles) and Knighton Mead Primary Academy (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Overdale Junior SchoolOverdale Infant SchoolMarriott Primary SchoolKnighton Mead Primary Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Lancaster Academy is a co-educational secondary school located in Knighton, Leicester, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
42.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Speech and language
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.78 to -0.65 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 33.0 to 32.1 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 24% to 20% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 32.1 | 20.1% |
| Disadvantaged(92) | - | 25.0 | 10.9% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(117) | - | 37.7 | 27.4% |
| Boys(140) | - | 31.1 | 20.7% |
| Girls(69) | - | 34.0 | 18.8% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(89) | - | 31.9 | 18% |
| Non mobile(168) | - | 32.0 | 19% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 6 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 200 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
1
Permanent exclusions
0.10%
Exclusion rate
109
Suspensions
11.33%
Suspension rate
67 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 962 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Lancaster Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lancaster Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lancaster Academy is in Leicester; for families living there:
Apply to Leicester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
2 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 Leicester is 24.5 (the median across 142 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 Lancaster Academy
Will you get a place at Lancaster Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lancaster Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lancaster Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lancaster Academy.
- Leicester publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Lancaster Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Lancaster Academy for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Leicester 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
85%
Available places
978 pupils
1,147 places
169 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Leicester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leicester
Across Leicester council
Places available
4,570
Applications
4,613
Got 1st preference
83.9%
Got preferred school
94.9%
All secondary applications across Leicester council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
96
SEN Support
26
EHC Plans
13.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Lancaster Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 20 places, 6 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
883
Total Pupils
587
Boys
296
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
54
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,530
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,024
Per pupil
£8212k
Total funding
£389k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.5%
Overall absence
28.2%
Persistent absence
1,114
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
Lancaster Academy
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Lancaster Academy
What are GCSE results like at Lancaster Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Lancaster Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 32.1. 20% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Lancaster Academy's Ofsted rating?
Lancaster Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2020 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Lancaster Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Lancaster Academy is oversubscribed, Leicester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Lancaster Academy?
Lancaster Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 85% of its 1147 places.
How big are the classes at Lancaster Academy?
Classes at Lancaster Academy average 22.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Lancaster Academy?
Lancaster Academy has around 883 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Lancaster Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Lancaster Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 20 places, 6 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Lancaster Academy?
8.5% of sessions were missed at Lancaster Academy in 2024/25. 28.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lancaster Academy?
Apply through Leicester's coordinated admissions process, naming Lancaster Academy 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 Lancaster Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 2 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 Leicester is 24.5 (the median across 142 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Lancaster Academy?
Lancaster Academy is at Knighton Lane East, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE2 6FU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)