Ryecroft Academy, Leeds
Ryecroft Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Leeds, part of The Gorse Academies Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 138th-highest of the 182 schools in Leeds with published results, and 11,625th of 14,452 across England. It was 74% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Leeds (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ryecroft Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils at Ryecroft Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Leeds and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 62% in reading and 64% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Ryecroft Academy
For September 2026 entry, 47 families put Ryecroft Academy as their first choice and 107 named it as one of their preferences, for 44 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ryecroft Academy are Lawns Park Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 47% reading, 70% maths); Greenhill Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 64% reading, 64% maths); Whingate Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 66% reading, 60% maths); and Cobden Primary School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 63% reading, 59% maths).
Ryecroft Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Lawns Park Primary SchoolGreenhill Primary SchoolWhingate Primary SchoolCobden Primary School
The trust
Ryecroft Academy is one of 15 schools run by The Gorse Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 54% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
37 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ryecroft Academy (as of September 2025): 95% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (89%).
Who goes there
41.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 82 pupils (23.4%) received SEN support and 2 (0.6%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bramley Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tong Road, 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Ryecroft Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Ryecroft Academy issued 4 suspensions, 1.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Ryecroft Academy are The Farnley Academy (0.5 miles), Dixons Unity Academy (0.5 miles) and Crawshaw Academy (1.5 miles).
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; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from September 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Ryecroft Academy excels at creating an inspiring curriculum where pupils with all abilities, including those with SEND, make exceptional progress. The school combines strong academic teaching in English and mathematics with a broad curriculum that develops pupils' spiritual, social, moral and cultural understanding. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary, and they enjoy coming to school feeling safe, well cared for, and proud to take on roles of responsibility in their community.
Key Strengths
- Broad, ambitious curriculum with carefully sequenced content that builds knowledge over time and links subjects together for deeper learning
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND through well-structured processes and highly personalised approaches to their learning needs
- Exemplary behaviour throughout the school, starting from early years, with pupils showing high levels of self-control and respect
- Strong focus on communication and language development with pupils learning to discuss, debate and share knowledge maturely
- Exceptional personal development opportunities with pupils taking on meaningful roles of responsibility and developing impressive abilities to understand different perspectives
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, creating an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Conservation leaders, equality leaders, breakfast club
Ryecroft Academy is an outstanding primary school in Leeds that provides a positive, welcoming learning environment where pupils flourish and achieve highly. The school has been judged outstanding across all areas including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.
At a Glance
41.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
37 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 65% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 56% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.3
Avg class size
26.6
Infant (KS1)
29.8
KS2
12
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Ryecroft Academy
Term dates
Ryecroft Academy 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 Ryecroft Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ryecroft Academy 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
- 32
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 14
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 32 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 14 serious and 18 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 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 Ryecroft Academy
Will you get a place at Ryecroft Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ryecroft Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ryecroft Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ryecroft Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Leeds, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Ryecroft Academy for 2015 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
74%
Available places
312 pupils
420 places
108 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
10,125
Applications
8,039
Got 1st preference
92.4%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Leeds council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
82
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
24.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
350
Total Pupils
174
Boys
176
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
18.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,886
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,827
Per pupil
£2090k
Total funding
£203k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
16.4%
Persistent absence
275
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Ryecroft Academy
Questions parents ask about Ryecroft Academy
What are SATs results like at Ryecroft Academy?
Of the pupils at Ryecroft Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 65% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is Ryecroft Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ryecroft Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Ryecroft Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Ryecroft Academy is oversubscribed, Leeds allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Ryecroft Academy?
Ryecroft Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 74% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Ryecroft Academy?
Classes at Ryecroft Academy average 28.3 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Ryecroft Academy?
Ryecroft Academy has around 350 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ryecroft Academy?
5.5% of sessions were missed at Ryecroft Academy in 2024/25. 16.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ryecroft Academy?
Apply through Leeds's coordinated admissions process, naming Ryecroft Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Ryecroft Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 32 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 14 serious and 18 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Leeds is 18.5 (the median across 308 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ryecroft Academy?
Ryecroft Academy is at Ryecroft Academy, Stonebridge Grove, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS12 5AW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)