Adel Primary School

About Adel Primary School

Adel Primary School, a state primary in Leeds for children aged 3 to 11, holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across both its most recent graded inspection in 2012 and an ungraded visit in 2022 where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The most telling exam metric comes from the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results: 72% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits comfortably above the Leeds local authority average of 61%, placing the school 47th out of 204 primaries in the area and in the top 50 tier locally. Nationally, it ranks in the top 25% of all primary schools. While the school does not have Progress 8 data to show how much value it adds, the raw attainment scores are strong, with a maths average score of 108 and a reading average of 107, both above the national benchmark of 100.

A closer look at the KS2 breakdown reveals particular strengths in maths, where 97% of pupils reached the expected standard and 48% achieved a higher score. Reading and writing both saw 79% of pupils hit the expected mark, with 38% reaching the higher standard in reading and 24% in writing. The proportion achieving the higher standard across all three subjects was 14%. Ofsted’s 2012 graded inspection rated leadership and management as Good, and the early years provision was also judged Good. The school’s headteacher, Julie Cordingley, leads a relatively small community of 232 pupils, operating just under its capacity of 236. With 7.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a less disadvantaged intake than many in the area, which may partly explain its above-average results.

Adel Primary is noticeably oversubscribed: for 30 places in the 2025/26 intake, it received 161 applications, with 31 listing it as a first preference and 26 of those receiving offers — an oversubscription ratio of over five to one. The school offers a nursery provision and a wide range of facilities including a forest school, sensory room, sports hall and art studios. Clubs span drama, choir, film, coding and eco club, while sports include netball, cross country, tennis and swimming. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families seeking a well-regarded primary with strong academic outcomes in north Leeds, Adel Primary is a popular choice, though securing a place is competitive.

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