Leek High School

About Leek High School

Leek High School’s headline Progress 8 score of -1.1 sits well below the Staffordshire local authority average of -0.18, placing it among the lowest-performing secondary schools in the area. In fact, the school ranks 53rd out of 75 similar schools in the county, and within its own borough of Staffordshire Moorlands it comes bottom of the seven schools listed. This is a school that has clearly struggled academically, and the data bears that out. The Attainment 8 score of 31 is also notably low, and only 34.4% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The proportion of pupils entered for the English Baccalaureate is just 5.6%, well below typical levels. However, the school serves a community with 27% of pupils eligible for free school meals, which is significantly above the national average, and this context matters when interpreting the raw numbers.

The most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024 saw the school improve from its previous Inadequate rating to Requires Improvement overall, which is a meaningful step forward. The inspection report notes that behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management are all now rated Good, and the sixth form provision is also Good. The sixth form itself is small, with just 25 pupils in the data, and achieves a value-added score of -0.29, which is below average but not dramatically so. At A-level, the average grade per entry is a C-, and the best three A-levels average out at 27.17 points, again around a C- grade. For a school that was rated Inadequate in 2022, the trajectory is clearly upward, but the academic outcomes remain a concern for parents prioritising strong exam results.

Leek High School is a 13-18 upper school, meaning pupils join in Year 9 rather than Year 7, and it currently has just 253 pupils against a capacity of 665, so it is significantly undersubscribed. The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, tennis courts, sports hall, music rooms, art studios, and a sixth form centre, plus a chapel. Sports on offer include cricket, rugby, hockey, and swimming, and there are clubs such as orchestra, drama, eco club, and Model UN. The school has a strong SEND provision, covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language needs, visual impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families whose children have additional needs or who prefer a smaller, more supportive environment, Leek High may offer a better fit than its raw exam data suggests, especially given the recent improvements in behaviour and leadership.

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