Guiseley School
98%
Capacity
1,427
Pupils
3.9x
Demand
About Guiseley School
Guiseley School sits within the Leeds local authority, a large secondary state school for 11- to 18-year-olds that is mixed and non-denominational. In the most recent local rankings by Progress 8, it placed 27th out of 42 schools in Leeds, putting it in the bottom half of the authority. For context, the top-performing peers in the same area include The Ruth Gorse Academy, Allerton High School, and Mount St Mary's Catholic High School, all of which recorded significantly higher Progress 8 scores. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is St. Mary's Menston, a Catholic Voluntary Academy, just 1.3 kilometres away. Guiseley itself was graded Good in its most recent graded inspection in 2019, and an ungraded inspection in November 2024 confirmed that standards are being maintained. The school is led by headteacher Paul Clayton and is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26, it received 921 applications for 238 places, with 305 of those as first preferences.
Academically, Guiseley's results paint a mixed picture. At Key Stage 4, its Progress 8 score is -0.04, which is slightly below the Leeds local authority average of 0.07 and is classed as 'Average' nationally. The Attainment 8 score stands at 49.4, and 52.3% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is 23.8%, with 12.6% achieving the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. The school's EBacc average points score is 4.4. At Key Stage 5, the picture is stronger: the sixth form has a value-added score of 0.23, which is rated 'Above average', and the average points per entry is 36.14, equivalent to a B- grade. The best three A-levels average out at a B- as well, and 22.6% of entries achieved grades AAB or higher. With 115 pupils in the sixth form, it is a sizeable provision that appears to add real value for students who stay on.
The school is well-resourced, with facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, gymnasium, sports hall, science labs, art studios, and a dedicated sixth form centre. There is a strong extracurricular offer: clubs range from Model UN and Debate to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and sports include hockey, martial arts, and cross country. Parent views, gathered from 383 responses, are overwhelmingly positive: 91% would recommend the school, and 91% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy. The school has a range of SEND provisions, including support for dyslexia, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. However, only 25% of respondents said their child has SEND, and among those, 36% disagreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need, which is a notable minority. Guiseley is a good fit for families seeking a large, popular comprehensive with a strong sixth form and broad activities, but those with children with SEND may want to investigate the support on offer more closely.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Fieldhead Road, Leeds, Leeds, LS20 8DT |
| Headteacher | Paul Clayton |
| Local Authority | Leeds |
| Number of Pupils | 1,427 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 12.4% |
| School Capacity | 1,427 / 1,450 (98% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
6 Nov 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (6 Nov 2024): Standards maintained
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 21 Oct 2019. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.04)
1609th of 3,141
Nationally
144th of 306
In Yorkshire and the Humber
27th of 42
In Leeds
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
35.8
'22/23
32.9
'23/24
36.1
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2361%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 227 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)61%
- FE college26%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Employment4%
- Not sustained3%
96% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2352%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 99 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
21%
Russell Group
25%
Top-third HE
1%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)52%
- Employment31%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Not sustained6%
- Further education2%
- Other education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Mathematics38
- Geography37
- History35
- Biology33
- Economics27
- Government and Politics24
- English Language19
- Physics17
- English Literature13
- Art and Design (Fine Art)10
- Art and Design (Photography)10
- Chemistry9
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
Ofsted Parent View
383 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
13Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed238
921
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
305 families put this school as their 1st choice (33% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 15:00
Source: guiseleyschool.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British85.9%
- Asian6.7%
- Mixed4.2%
- White (other)1.4%
- Black0.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
8
Total schools
7
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About Guiseley School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Fieldhead Road, Leeds
Leeds, LS20 8DT
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at Guiseley School!
Write a Review