Lawnswood School

About Lawnswood School

Lawnswood School sits within the Leeds local authority, a large secondary state school for pupils aged 11 to 18. In the most recent rankings for Progress 8, it placed 31st out of 42 schools in the authority, putting it in the bottom half of its local peers. The top-performing schools 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 stronger Progress 8 scores. Lawnswood is a mixed, non-religious school with a capacity of 1,669 pupils and currently has 1,396 on roll. It is heavily oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 admissions round, there were 572 applications for 258 places, with 121 first-preference offers made. The school has a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 42.8%, well above the national average, and its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 judged it Good overall, an improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2011.

Academically, Lawnswood’s results are mixed. At Key Stage 4, the school’s Progress 8 score was -0.26, which is below the Leeds local authority average of 0.07 and places it in the bottom 50 nationally. The Attainment 8 score was 43.5, and 63% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though this dropped to 42% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate was low at 14.9%, with 13.7% achieving the qualification at grade 4 or above. At Key Stage 5, the picture is more positive: the sixth form achieved a value-added score of 0.28, which is rated Above average, and the average points per entry was 29.17, equivalent to a grade C. The best three A-levels averaged a grade C as well, with 11.5% of entries achieving grades AAB or higher. This suggests the sixth form adds real value for students who stay on.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, science labs, music rooms, a sports hall, playing fields, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include basketball, badminton, gymnastics, athletics, and martial arts, while clubs range from chess and debate to coding, eco club, and Young Enterprise. Lawnswood has a comprehensive SEND provision, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language challenges, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Carr Manor Community School, 2.9 km away. Lawnswood is a good fit for families in Leeds seeking a large, inclusive secondary with a strong sixth form and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities, particularly those who value a school that reflects the local community’s diversity.

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