The City of Leicester College, Leicester

Ofsted's report card from its 6 May 2026 inspection grades The City of Leicester College on 7 areas: 6 strong standard and 1 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils, and students in the sixth form, achieve well."

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "The school has established a highly positive culture that is characterised by kindness and mutual respect."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Inspirational leaders have designed a rich and ambitious curriculum."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Inclusion sits at the heart of the school's work."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "United by a shared vision, committed and highly effective leaders have improved the school significantly in recent years."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Personal development is central to the school's aspirational vision."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders have recently made changes to the post-16 provision."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that progress and attainment in the sixth-form continue to improve and that the high standards across the school school are maintained".

In 2026, pupils at The City of Leicester College averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.1 in Leicester and 47 across England.

50% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Leicester and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 49.1.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.29: pupils made 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 43.7, against 51.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 187 families put The City of Leicester College as their first choice and 511 named it as one of their preferences, for 245 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 7 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The City of Leicester College are Judgemeadow Community College (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.9); St Paul's Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.8); Crown Hills Community College (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.6); and Manor High School (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 60.4).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than The City of Leicester College.

The City of Leicester College is one of 3 schools run by Aspire Learning Partnership, an academy trust.

Of the 296 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 21% to a further education college, 0% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 150 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 60% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 15% into work. 8% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

35% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 44.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (72%), Mixed (12%) and other ethnic groups (5%).

In 2026, 161 pupils (10.7%) received SEN support and 27 (1.8%) 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.

The City of Leicester College has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs and autism: 20 places, 20 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Leicester Rail Station, about 2.7 miles away in a straight line.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Chatteris Avenue (opposite), 120 metres away.

In 2024/25, The City of Leicester College issued 112 suspensions, 7.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The City of Leicester College are Krishna Avanti Primary School (0.4 miles); Whitehall Primary School (0.5 miles); Thurnby, St Luke's Church of England Primary School (0.8 miles); and Thurnby Mead Primary Academy (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.