The Cedars Academy, Leicester
The Cedars Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Leicester, part of Lionheart Educational Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 23rd-highest of the 35 schools in Leicester with published results, and 1,755th of 3,298 across England. It was 76% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Leicestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Cedars Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Cedars Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.8 in Leicestershire and 47 across England.
43% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Leicestershire and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 45.1.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.32: pupils made 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 34.3, against 49.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, French and History.
Getting a place at The Cedars Academy
For September 2026 entry, 181 families put The Cedars Academy as their first choice and 411 named it as one of their preferences, for 180 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 12 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to The Cedars Academy are The Roundhill Academy (1.2 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 44.5); Rushey Mead Academy (1.7 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 56.8); Soar Valley College (1.9 miles, Attainment 8 49.6); and Babington Academy (2.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 36.1).
The Cedars Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
The Roundhill AcademyRushey Mead AcademySoar Valley CollegeBabington Academy
The trust
The Cedars Academy is one of 17 schools run by Lionheart Educational Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.5 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 186 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 65% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Of the 33 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 58% went on to university or other higher education, 15% to apprenticeships and 18% into work. 11% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
10.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (55%), Asian (26%) and Mixed (8%).
The Cedars Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 30 places, 26 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Great Central Railway, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Birstall Meadow Road (opposite), 360 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Cedars Academy issued 205 suspensions, 20.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Cedars Academy are Riverside Community Primary School Birstall (0.6 miles); Highcliffe Primary School and Community Centre (0.7 miles); Hallam Fields, Birstall (0.7 miles); and Glebelands Primary School (1.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Riverside Community Primary School BirstallHighcliffe Primary School and Community CentreHallam Fields, BirstallGlebelands Primary School
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
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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from January 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
20.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
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 declined from -0.07 to -0.32 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 46.9 to 45.4 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 48% to 43% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 45.4 | 42.6% |
| Disadvantaged(46) | - | 34.3 | 21.7% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(137) | - | 49.1 | 49.6% |
| Boys(83) | - | 44.5 | 44.6% |
| Girls(100) | - | 46.1 | 41% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(22) | - | 44.2 | 45.5% |
| Non mobile(174) | - | 46.0 | 43.1% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 2 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 186 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.20%
Exclusion rate
205
Suspensions
20.90%
Suspension rate
65 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 981 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with The Cedars Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Cedars Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Cedars Academy is in Leicestershire; for families living there:
- Leicestershire's school travel policy: Mainstream School Transport for 5 to 16 year olds
- How to apply: Request for school transport on medical grounds form PDF, 359.48 KB Opens new window
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 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 The Cedars Academy
Will you get a place at The Cedars Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Cedars Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Cedars Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Cedars Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Leicestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Cedars Academy for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Leicestershire 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
76%
Available places
981 pupils
1,289 places
308 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 Leicestershire council
Places available
8,516
Applications
7,490
Got 1st preference
90.2%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All secondary applications across Leicestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
167
SEN Support
43
EHC Plans
21.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Cedars Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 30 places, 26 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
985
Total Pupils
478
Boys
507
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
63
Teachers
15.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,303
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,801
Per pupil
£6807k
Total funding
£215k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.9%
Overall absence
20.4%
Persistent absence
989
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
The Cedars Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Cedars Academy
What are GCSE results like at The Cedars Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Cedars Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 45.4. 43% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Cedars Academy's Ofsted rating?
The Cedars Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Cedars Academy?
No fixed boundary. When The Cedars Academy is oversubscribed, Leicestershire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Cedars Academy?
The Cedars Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 76% of its 1289 places.
How big are the classes at The Cedars Academy?
Classes at The Cedars Academy average 27.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Cedars Academy?
The Cedars Academy has around 985 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Cedars Academy have specialist SEN provision?
The Cedars Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 30 places, 26 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at The Cedars Academy?
7.9% of sessions were missed at The Cedars Academy in 2024/25. 20.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Cedars Academy?
Apply through Leicestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Cedars 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 The Cedars Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Cedars Academy?
The Cedars Academy is at Wanlip Lane, Birstall, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 4GH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)