Leek High School, Leek
Leek High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Leek, part of The Talentum Learning Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 52nd-highest of the 56 schools in Staffordshire with published results, and 3,048th of 3,298 across England. It was 38% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
- Capacity
- 38% full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Leek High School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Leek High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 36.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.7 in Staffordshire and 47 across England.
19% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Staffordshire and 47% in England.
That is down from 38.1 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.1: 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 30.6, against 38.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 15 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Sports Studies.
Getting a place at Leek High School
Staffordshire published that the last place offered for 2026 entry went to a family 6.92 miles away. The cut-off moves every year with the number of applications.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Leek High School are Churnet View Middle School (0.6 miles, Good); St Edward's Church of England Academy (1.4 miles, Requires improvement); Westwood College (1.8 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 40.5); and Endon High School (5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 53).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Leek High School.
Churnet View Middle SchoolSt Edward's Church of England AcademyWestwood CollegeEndon High School
The trust
Leek High School is one of 9 schools run by The Talentum Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 90 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 73% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 61% to a further education college, 7% to an apprenticeship and 6% into work.
Of the 27 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 41% went on to university or other higher education, 11% to apprenticeships and 15% into work. 8% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
3.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Leek High School had 23 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Cheddleton (Churnet Valley Railway), about 3 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Leek High School (adjacent), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 143 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Leek High School issued 71 suspensions, 28.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Leek High School are Leek First School (0.2 miles), Beresford Memorial CofE First School (0.3 miles), All Saints CofE First School (0.8 miles) and St Mary's Catholic Academy (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Leek First SchoolBeresford Memorial CofE First SchoolAll Saints CofE First SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Academy
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Staffordshire published that the last place for 2026 entry went to a family 6.92 miles away (straight line). The cut-off moves every year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Leek High School has turned a corner. Pupils now benefit from stable staffing, clear boundaries and a culture of mutual respect. Pupils feel supported and well cared for. They know that teachers have their best interests at heart.
The school has established high expectations for pupils' attendance and behaviour and for their learning. Pupils try hard to meet the school's ambitions for them. As a result, attendance is well above the national average, pupils behave well and they are keen to do their best. Pupils say they are proud to belong to the school. Work on the curriculum is taking a little more time to secure. There is still some work to do to realise the school's ambitions for pupils' achievements.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Since his arrival, the headteacher has transformed Leek High School. He has carefully and systematically tackled the serious issues that dogged the school in the past and made sure that pupils, staff and parents are part of these improvements. Many pupils and staff members talked about how they felt part of a team that was creating a bright future for the school. Parents' views of the school are much more positive. Pupils are benefiting from the significant changes that have been made, including carefully considered alterations to the school building and learning environment.
Pupils follow a broad and ambitious curriculum. They can choose from a range of subjects at key stages 4 and 5 that match their interests and aspirations. In most subjects, the curriculum is well planned and sequenced so that pupils can build on their learning over time. Leaders have worked with staff to establish clear classroom routines. These have helped to ensure that classrooms are mostly calm so that pupils can learn well.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement).
About
Leek High School is a mixed upper school located in Leek, Staffordshire, England. As of 2021, the number of students at the school is 373, including the sixth form, but capacity is 665.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
31.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from -0.91 to -1.10 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 32.1 to 36.1 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 19% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 36.1 | 18.9% |
| Disadvantaged(22) | - | 30.6 | 13.6% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(52) | - | 38.4 | 21.2% |
| Boys(37) | - | 32.6 | 10.8% |
| Girls(37) | - | 39.6 | 27% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(71) | - | 36.0 | 19.7% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 90 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
71
Suspensions
28.06%
Suspension rate
30 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 253 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Leek High School
Term dates
Leek High School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Staffordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Leek High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Leek High School is in Staffordshire; for families living there:
Apply to Staffordshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 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 Leek High School
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
38%
Available places
255 pupils
665 places
410 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Leek
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leek
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
8,807
Applications
7,681
Got 1st preference
91.9%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
34
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
17.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
261
Total Pupils
112
Boys
149
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
11.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,764
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,819
Per pupil
£2064k
Total funding
£73k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.3%
Overall absence
5.3%
Persistent absence
264
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
Questions parents ask about Leek High School
What are GCSE results like at Leek High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Leek High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 36.1. 19% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Leek High School's Ofsted rating?
Leek High School was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2022 it was rated Inadequate.
How close to Leek High School do you need to live?
Staffordshire published for September 2026 entry that the last place offered at Leek High School on distance went to a family 6.92 miles away. This is the authority's own figure for one year, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications, so treat it as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Is it hard to get a place at Leek High School?
Leek High School was not full in 2025: it ran at 38% of its 665 places.
How big are the classes at Leek High School?
Classes at Leek High School average 22.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Leek High School?
Leek High School has around 261 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Leek High School?
3.3% of sessions were missed at Leek High School in 2024/25. 5.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Leek High School?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Leek High School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Leek High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Leek High School?
Leek High School is at Springfield Road, Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 6EU.
Sources: Staffordshire admissions booklet; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)