The City of Leicester College

About The City of Leicester College

The City of Leicester College is a large secondary school in Leicester, operating well above the national average for pupil deprivation. With 1,569 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,614, it is effectively full, and the demand for places is intense: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 510 total applications for 244 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.09. Of those, 186 were first-preference applications, all of which received offers. The school’s percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 34.7%, significantly higher than the national average of around 23% for secondary schools, reflecting the socio-economic profile of its intake. The school is non-denominational and co-educational, serving ages 11 through 19, with a dedicated sixth form. Headteacher Ken Vernon leads a school that, despite its popularity with local families, has been rated Requires Improvement by Ofsted in its most recent graded inspection in 2019.

Academically, the school’s performance tells a more nuanced story. At Key Stage 4, pupils achieved a Progress 8 score of 0.29, which is above the local authority average of 0.12 and places the school 11th out of 20 secondary schools in Leicester. Nationally, this ranks it in the top 27% of schools, with a Progress 8 banding of ‘Above average’. The Attainment 8 score was 48.7, and 69.3% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. However, only 8.1% achieved the English Baccalaureate at grade 4 or above, and just 11.1% entered the EBacc combination of subjects. At A-level, the picture is more mixed: the school’s value-added score was -0.18, rated ‘Below average’, with an average points per entry of 29.12, equivalent to a grade C. The best three A-levels averaged 29.86 points, also a C grade. The sixth form was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection, a step above the overall school rating.

The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a theatre, sports hall, astro turf, playing fields, science labs, art studios, music rooms, and a sixth form centre. Sports provision is extensive, with netball, cricket, swimming, athletics, gymnastics, hockey, basketball, dance, rugby, and football all on offer. There is also a strong enrichment programme featuring clubs such as Film Club, Drama, Art Club, Debate, Model UN, Choir, Orchestra, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The school has a comprehensive SEND offer, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families considering this school, the data suggests it is a popular, oversubscribed choice in a diverse urban area, with strong KS4 progress but a sixth form that requires careful consideration. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Crown Hills Community College, 1.9 km away.

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