Blackgates Primary Academy

About Blackgates Primary Academy

Blackgates Primary Academy in Leeds was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement judgement. The inspection, which took place in 2025, awarded Good across all individual categories including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. However, the school’s academic outcomes tell a more complicated story. At Key Stage 2, just 41% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Leeds local authority average of 61%. This places Blackgates in the bottom half of primary schools nationally, ranking 12335th out of 13686 schools. In individual subjects, 67% met expectations in writing, 61% in reading, and 57% in maths, while the proportion reaching the higher standard was low across the board, with no pupils achieving higher in writing or the combined measure.

The school’s progress scores are not available, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. What is clear is that Blackgates serves a community with above-average disadvantage: 39% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Despite the modest headline results, parents are overwhelmingly positive. In the Parent View survey covering September 2024 to September 2025, 85% of respondents said they would recommend the school, and strong majorities agreed that their child is happy, safe, and does well. Notably, 71% strongly agreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need, and 71% strongly agreed that their child can take part in clubs and activities. The school has a nursery provision for children from age two, and offers a range of clubs including coding, drama and film club, plus sports such as gymnastics, tennis and football.

Blackgates is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 89 applications for 30 places, with 32 first-preference applications and 30 first-preference offers made. The school has a sensory room, playing fields, sports hall, music rooms and a chapel, and its SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health, speech and language communication, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families considering this school, the picture is mixed: the Ofsted rating is strong and parents report high satisfaction, but the academic outcomes are below the Leeds average. The school may particularly suit families who value the pastoral and SEND support on offer, and who are looking for a primary with nursery provision in a diverse, inner-city community setting.

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