The Laurel Academy, Mexborough
The Laurel Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Mexborough, part of Delta Academies Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 8th-highest of the 20 schools in Doncaster with published results, and 1,328th of 3,298 across England. It was 58% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Doncaster (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Laurel Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Laurel Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.8 in Doncaster and 47 across England.
54% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Doncaster and 47% in England.
That is down from 50.2 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.17: 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 44.8, against 50 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.2 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.
Getting a place at The Laurel Academy
For September 2026 entry, 160 families put The Laurel Academy as their first choice and 202 named it as one of their preferences, for 170 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 The Laurel Academy are Swinton Academy (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.7); Astrea Academy Dearne (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.3); Saint Pius X Catholic High School A Specialist School in Humanities (1.9 miles, Attainment 8 39.7); and Wath Academy (1.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.7).
The Laurel Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Swinton AcademyAstrea Academy DearneSaint Pius X Catholic High School A Specialist School in HumanitiesWath Academy
The trust
The Laurel Academy is one of 64 schools run by Delta Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.1 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 113 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 80% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 59% to a further education college and 3% into work.
Who goes there
47.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 7.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 106 pupils (14%) received SEN support and 19 (2.5%) 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 Mexborough Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Elm Road/Chestnut Grove (adjacent), 200 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Laurel Academy issued 204 suspensions, 26.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Laurel Academy are Highwoods Academy (0.3 miles), Montagu Academy (0.3 miles), Mexborough St John the Baptist CofE Primary School (0.6 miles) and Windhill Primary School (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Highwoods AcademyMontagu AcademyMexborough St John the Baptist CofE Primary SchoolWindhill 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
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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
47.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from 0.05 to 0.17 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 42.5 to 47.8 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 32% to 54% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 47.8 | 53.6% |
| Disadvantaged(61) | - | 44.8 | 45.9% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(79) | - | 50.0 | 59.5% |
| Boys(76) | - | 47.0 | 51.3% |
| Girls(64) | - | 48.6 | 56.3% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(9) | - | 44.7 | 33.3% |
| Non mobile(135) | - | 47.7 | 53.3% |
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) - 113 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.26%
Exclusion rate
204
Suspensions
26.91%
Suspension rate
78 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 758 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with The Laurel Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Laurel Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Laurel Academy is in Doncaster; for families living there:
Apply to Doncaster for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
0 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 Doncaster is 10 (the median across 143 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 Laurel Academy
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Your home postcode, set against The Laurel Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Laurel Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Laurel Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Doncaster, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Laurel Academy for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Doncaster 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
58%
Available places
770 pupils
1,327 places
557 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Mexborough
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Mexborough
Across Doncaster council
Places available
3,913
Applications
3,506
Got 1st preference
89.9%
Got preferred school
97.4%
All secondary applications across Doncaster council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
106
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
16.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
755
Total Pupils
370
Boys
385
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
39
Teachers
19.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,653
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£10,720
Per pupil
£8685k
Total funding
£376k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.3%
Overall absence
21.3%
Persistent absence
820
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 Laurel Academy
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Laurel Academy
What are GCSE results like at The Laurel Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Laurel Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 47.8. 54% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Laurel Academy's Ofsted rating?
The Laurel Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2017 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for The Laurel Academy?
No fixed boundary. When The Laurel Academy is oversubscribed, Doncaster allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Laurel Academy?
The Laurel Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 58% of its 1327 places.
How big are the classes at The Laurel Academy?
Classes at The Laurel Academy average 24.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Laurel Academy?
The Laurel Academy has around 755 pupils on roll. 47% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Laurel Academy?
7.3% of sessions were missed at The Laurel Academy in 2024/25. 21.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Laurel Academy?
Apply through Doncaster's coordinated admissions process, naming The Laurel 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 Laurel Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 0 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 Doncaster is 10 (the median across 143 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Laurel Academy?
The Laurel Academy is at Maple Road, Mexborough, South Yorkshire, S64 9SD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)