Changing the World Around Us

March 2025 - Ryecroft Academy – March 2025 – Ofsted Inspection

Ryecroft Academy was subject to a fully graded inspection in March 2025 and, for the first time in its history as a school, was judged to be Outstanding in all areas of its practice. This outcome is the result of close to a decade of exceptionally hard work and is of immense importance to the wider community. There is so much in the report to celebrate including Ofsted’s view that “pupils delight in trying their best at all times of the day”.

February 2025 - The Stephen Longfellow Academy – Ofsted Inspection

Early in the calendar year, The Stephen Longfellow Academy was subject to an ungraded inspection. As was the case at Bruntcliffe Academy, it was confirmed that the school was continuing to offer a good education to its pupils. We agree entirely with the areas for improvement that were identified by Ofsted and we are confident that provision in those areas is now improving at a rapid rate.

We remain very proud of the contribution that The Stephen Longfellow Academy is making to the Leeds city region.

November 2024 - Bruntcliffe Academy – Ofsted Inspection

Following on from the inspection of Morley Newlands Academy, Bruntcliffe Academy was subject to a fully graded inspection in November 2024. Inspectors confirmed that all areas of the school’s work continues to be Good.

Though we are proud of all that is being achieved at Bruntcliffe Academy and we recognise and embrace the findings of the inspection including areas that need to improve at pace. There is now compelling evidence to show that those improvements are underway.

October 2024 - Morley Newlands Academy – Ofsted Inspection

Following on rapidly from the full inspection at The Morley Academy, Morley Newlands Academy received an ungraded inspection in October 2024. The report confirmed that the exceptional standards seen at the previous inspection which judged the school to be Outstanding had been maintained. Inspectors were emphatic in their view that “Morley Newlands Academy is a school with exceptionally high expectations for pupils … (that) extend beyond what pupils should achieve academically”. This was a powerful confirmation of all that has been achieved at the school.

September 2024 - The Morley Academy – Ofsted Inspection

The Morley Academy was the first of our schools to be subject to a full inspection in the new framework which removed overall judgements. Nevertheless, all of us were extremely proud to see The Morley Academy judged outstanding in all areas of its work by the inspectorate. This represents a confirmation that The Morley Academy and formerly Morley High School have been providing an Outstanding education for its community for 15 years. It was little surprise to read that inspectors found that “pupils are exceptionally proud to attend school.”

May 2024 - Elliott Hudson College – Outstanding

Again, all of us at GORSE were so proud to see Elliott Hudson College reconfirmed as an Outstanding provider by OFSTED in an inspection which recognised the college as an engine of “social mobility”. We were also delighted that the inspection team came to understand the college’s “sense of community” where every student is known, accepted and celebrated.

April 2024 - John Smeaton Academy – Good

Everyone connected with GORSE was delighted to see John Smeaton Academy judged to be a Good school by OFSTED for the first time in well over a decade. The report itself describes the “startling transformation” of the school which is now “a beacon for its community”. This report will act as a key milestone on our journey to making John Smeaton Academy a truly exceptional place to learn, study and work.

October 2023 - The Ruth Gorse Academy – Outstanding

All members of our trust were so proud to see The Ruth Gorse Academy confirmed as an Outstanding school for the second time by OFSTED since opening in September 2014. Described by OFSTED as being a school where ‘there are no barriers to pupils’ success’ Ruth Gorse continues to provide an exceptional education for communities in the centre of our city.

September 2023 - The Farnley Academy – Outstanding

Having lost its Outstanding status in October 2019, The Farnley Academy resecured its Outstanding status at the beginning of the autumn term. This was a moment of great importance for the whole of the Farnley community with the school confirmed by OFSTED as being truly ‘aspirational and visionary’.

March 2023 - Bruntcliffe Academy – Good

Bruntcliffe Academy was also inspected in March 2023. Because of its status as a Good school it was subject to an ungraded section 8 inspection. Inspectors awarded Bruntcliffe the highest outcome possible in that it is their view that “there is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged Outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (Section 5) inspection now.” We look forward to that inspection taking place.

March 2023 - GORSE SCITT – Outstanding

Our teacher training programme was inspected over the course of 4 days and found to be Outstanding in all areas of its work. We are particularly proud of the “exceptional” GORSE SCITT makes to the success of schools across the Leeds City region.

January 2023 - Boston Spa Academy – Outstanding

At a full section 5 inspection of Boston Spa Academy the school was judged to be outstanding overall and in all areas. This was an incredibly important result for our trust and even more so for the Boston Spa community whose children are known “exceptionally well”.

March 2022 - Richmond Hill Academy – Good

In an exceptionally successful inspection, Ofsted confirmed the dramatic and rapid transformation of Richmond Hill Academy from an Inadequate provision to one in which all children excel within a learning environment described as “breathtaking”. Three areas of the school’s practice were judged to be outstanding including Leadership, Behaviour and Personal Development.

March 2018 - Elliott Hudson College – Outstanding

The trust’s decision to close its Sixth forms and open a new college for the city was vindicated through the recognition given in this inspection report. As well as being the highest performing A-level provider in the Yorkshire and Humber region, Elliott Hudson College was recognised by the inspection team for its transformational impact on social mobility. The college’s work with less advantaged students was described in the report as being “Exceptional”.

Elliott Hudson College is now heavily over-subscribed and truly inspirational in all aspects of its work under David Holtham’s leadership.

February 2018 - Bruntcliffe Academy – Good

Following on from the impressive Ofsted outcome at Morley Newlands Academy, Bruntcliffe Academy was inspected early in the Spring term. The judgement came as close as it is possible to being Outstanding, and this is to the immense credit of Adam Ryder and his team of whom we are so proud. We were delighted to receive Outstanding judgments in the areas of Leadership and Management, Teaching, Learning and Assessment and Personal Development and Welfare.

This is a brilliant platform upon which to build Bruntcliffe’s future.

January 2018 - Morley Newlands Academy – Outstanding

Morley Newlands Academy is inspected in January 2018. Because of its previous under-performance the school was subject to a full Section 5 inspection rather than a one day Section 8 inspection of what had previously been a Good school. We are immensely proud of Simon McCarthy and his team that they secured an Outstanding judgement in all areas and overall.

November 2017 - GORSE SCITT – Outstanding

GORSE SCITT is inspected in November 2017, following on from the first stage of the inspection which took place in June 2017, and was classified as Outstanding in all categories and overall.

July 2017 - The Ruth Gorse Academy – Outstanding

All of us are exceptionally proud that, under the brilliant leadership of Rebekah Taylor, The Ruth Gorse Academy was classified as Outstanding in every area in its inspection report of July 2017. For the inspection team to agree with our parents that we are “a fantastic school where teachers see each child as an individual” is a terrific accolade for all involved in the delivery of this truly inspirational vision.

Despite all of the challenges and, at times, the opposition that we have faced we see this achievement as one of the most important in the Leeds city region for a generation.

May 2017 - Ryecroft Academy – Requires Improvement

At its most recent inspection in May 2017 Ryecroft Academy was judged to Require Improvement. The trust recognises entirely that we have not been successful in changing standards at Ryecroft Academy with sufficient speed or depth since it converted to academy status. This has now changed and, under the exceptional leadership of Helen Townsley, Ryecroft Academy is pushing forward at a remarkable speed.

September 2016 - Hillcrest Academy – Outstanding

In September 2016 Hillcrest Academy in Chapeltown was inspected for the first time since its conversion to academy status in January 2014. At its previous inspection in 2013 the predecessor school was rated as Inadequate. All of us are immensely proud that Hillcrest Academy was judged by the inspection team to be Outstanding. All areas of the school were judged by the inspection team to be of the very highest standard, including the Early Years and Foundation Stage which was also judged to be Outstanding. This is an amazing result for the community of Chapeltown. For too many years people have looked down on Hillcrest as a failing school. We can now enjoy many years of the wider community across Leeds and further afield looking up to Hillcrest Academy as a beacon of excellence under the leadership of Sam Done.

We are also proud that for the second time the trust has overseen the transformation of an under-performing school to the very highest rating in only three years.

December 2013 - The Farnley Academy – Outstanding

In December 2013 The Farnley Academy was judged to be Outstanding. We are proud to have played such an important part in the transformation of a school which was failing its community to one of which its community can be rightly proud. This represents one of the most rapid movements in the country of any secondary school from Inadequate to Outstanding status regarding Ofsted judgements.

May 2013 - The Morley Academy – Second Outstanding Ofsted Judgement

All of us were delighted that, on its re-inspection as an Outstanding school in 2013, The Morley Academy was judged to be Outstanding in all areas of its work. This was an even more impressive report than the one received following the 2009 inspection as the sixth form was also judged to be Outstanding in this inspection.

May 2009 - The Morley Academy – Outstanding

In 2009 all of us were delighted that Morley High School was judged to be an Outstanding school. Despite all that we have been engaged in as a trust since 2009 we remain very proud of all that The Morley Academy represents and it comes as no surprise to anyone who spends time within the academy to learn that, for example, it remains as one of the very highest performing schools in the country regarding the progress of all children.

March 2006 - The Morley Academy – Satisfactory

At the time of Sir John Townsley’s appointment to the position of Headteacher of Morley High School (now The Morley Academy) in 2003, the school was viewed by all external stakeholders including parents as underperforming. It was at the time judged as a “Satisfactory” school by Ofsted and this judgement was repeated in the school’s inspection of 2006. Though we were disappointed with the overall judgement we were pleased that inspectors noted the Good standards of behaviour, teaching and leadership and the Outstanding curriculum, and this gave us the confidence to push forward with renewed vigour in our direction of travel.