Morley Newlands Academy

About Morley Newlands Academy

Morley Newlands Academy was judged Outstanding in its most recent Ofsted inspection, a significant upgrade from its previous Good rating. The inspection, which took place in 2024, gave top marks across the board, with leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness all rated Outstanding. The school’s most telling academic metric is its Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths expected standard score: 64% of pupils reached that benchmark in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure sits just above the Leeds local authority average of 61%, placing the school 97th out of 204 primary schools in the area. While not among the very highest performers locally, it is comfortably in the top half of Leeds primaries and ranks in the top 50% nationally. The school also achieved strong individual subject scores, with average reading and maths scaled scores of 106 each, and 79% of pupils met the expected standard in maths.

The Ofsted report also highlighted that standards have been maintained since the last graded inspection, and the school’s leadership continues to be rated Outstanding. In terms of higher attainment, 10% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, with 38% reaching that level in reading and 32% in maths. Writing at the higher standard was lower, at 16%. The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available, but the consistent performance across the core subjects suggests solid teaching. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 89% of respondents would recommend the school, and 93% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there. Strong majorities also felt the school has high expectations for their child and that their child does well. However, there are some concerns around SEND support, with 32% of parents disagreeing or strongly disagreeing that children with special educational needs get the support they need.

Morley Newlands Academy is a larger-than-average primary school, with 700 pupils against a capacity of 669, and it is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 222 applications for 87 places, with 80 first-preference offers made. The school has a nursery provision and caters for children aged 3 to 11. Facilities include music rooms, an ICT suite, a gymnasium, a sports hall, and a chapel. Sports offered include football, cricket, swimming, athletics, cross country, and tennis, while clubs range from gardening and coding to film, science, and art clubs. The school’s SEND provisions cover a broad spectrum, including specific learning difficulties, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and physical disabilities. With 17.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a reasonably diverse intake. This is a well-regarded local option for families who want a school with strong academic foundations, a wide range of activities, and a clear track record of improvement under current leadership.

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