Lees Brook Academy Review 2026, A mainstream secondary with a vocationally focused sixth form

High expectations, a clear behaviour system, and a practical approach to next steps shape daily life here. The academy serves Chaddesden and surrounding parts of Derby, with a broad 11 to 18 offer and a sixth form that places particular emphasis on technical and vocational pathways alongside core English and mathematics. The latest Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, judged the academy Good in every area, including sixth form provision.

Parents weighing this option should read the results picture with care. GCSE performance sits below England average on the headline measures, and the Progress 8 score indicates students, overall, make less progress than similar pupils nationally from the same starting points. What balances that is the academy’s explicit focus on strengthening curriculum delivery, prioritising reading, and tightening consistency in classroom routines. External evaluation points to a calm, orderly environment where students feel safe and relationships with staff are positive.

This is an academy that puts clarity first. Expectations are repeatedly set out in plain language, from punctuality through to how students organise their work and treat one another. The underlying message is consistent, attendance matters, behaviour matters, and learning time should be protected. Ofsted describes a caring and inclusive culture, with most students behaving well in lessons and at unstructured times.

Leadership is clearly signposted. Mrs Clare Watson is the Executive Principal, and the local governance information lists her appointment as Principal from 01 May 2022. The academy sits within Archway Learning Trust, which joined the school’s improvement journey in 2021, and this context matters because it explains the strong emphasis on consistent practice across classrooms.

The physical environment is designed to support a wide range of learning experiences. The Parent Handbook highlights specialist facilities including a Dance Studio, a large Sports Hall, a sixth form vocational centre referred to as the Skills Academy, a Construction Centre, and a 3G football turf pitch with changing rooms. Performance spaces are also a feature, with professional standard lighting and sound in the Hall and Drama Studio.

The academy’s GCSE outcomes sit below England average on the standard measures. The Attainment 8 score is 41.9, and Progress 8 is -0.24, which indicates students made below average progress compared with similar pupils nationally.

The GCSE ranking provides a clear comparator for parents. Ranked 2,974th in England and 15th in Derby for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), performance sits below England average, within the lower 40% of schools in England on this measure.

The EBacc indicators point in the same direction. The academy’s average EBacc APS is 3.4 compared with an England average of 4.08, and 5.8% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure shown in the published dataset.

How should parents interpret this? The useful lens here is trajectory and consistency. Ofsted’s 2023 report describes significant curriculum work and a stronger curriculum offer, but also notes that this was not yet fully reflected in published results at that point, because cohorts benefiting from the improved curriculum had not all reached public examinations. For families, the practical implication is to ask targeted questions at an open event: which subjects are improving fastest, how the academy checks understanding in lessons, and what intervention looks like for students who fall behind.

Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool to view GCSE measures side by side with nearby schools, then pair that with a visit to assess day to day learning culture.

Curriculum intent is ambitious and knowledge-led. The academy’s published curriculum statement emphasises a text-rich approach, designed to strengthen reading, oracy, and writing across subjects, aligned to the trust ambition that every child becomes a fluent reader.

Reading is treated as a priority in both mainstream lessons and targeted support. The literacy strategy describes a structured approach to intervention, including NGRT testing twice a year, and tiered support that includes Ruth Miskin’s Fresh Start Phonics for students at earlier stages of reading. The evidence implication is straightforward: for students arriving with weaker literacy, the academy is explicit about diagnosis and response, which can be reassuring for parents who want clarity rather than vague promises.

Ofsted reports strong subject knowledge among teachers and clear explanations, alongside a consistent retrieval style at the start of lessons to help students recap prior learning. The improvement points are also specific and practical, checking understanding systematically, and ensuring students complete tasks to the required standard so knowledge and skills build securely.

In sixth form, the external evaluation is positive. Students benefit from a curriculum well matched to their needs, teachers have strong subject knowledge, and students receive personalised support that helps them progress. That focus aligns with the academy’s distinctive sixth form model, which is strongly vocational and technical in feel.

University destinations are not the defining story of this sixth form, at least in the most recent published cohort. For the 2023/24 leavers cohort, 32% progressed to further education, 9% to apprenticeships, and 19% entered employment.

This destinations picture fits the on-site offer described in the Parent Handbook. Sixth form provision is positioned as vocational education from Entry Level to Level 3 in industry-standard facilities, with subjects including Construction, Hair, Beauty, Health and Social Care, Sport, and Hospitality and Catering. Level 3 technical qualifications are described as carrying UCAS points, and students can also work towards GCSE English and mathematics or functional skills.

A distinctive pathway is the football and education partnership. The Parent Handbook describes work with Derby County Community Trust, including students playing in an EFL programme and training with professional coaches, with home fixtures hosted at Derby County’s Moor Farm training ground. The implication for families is that the academy is trying to make progression tangible, combining qualification routes with employer shaped experiences, which can suit students who want a clear line from study to work, training, or further specialist education.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through the local authority rather than directly with the academy. For September 2026 intake, the Derby City coordinated scheme sets 31 October 2025 as the closing date for applications. The academy’s admissions guidance also highlights that allocations are confirmed on National Offer Day, Monday 02 March 2026.

Oversubscription criteria are published and based on a familiar hierarchy, looked-after children, catchment and siblings, then other applicants. Where distance is used as a tie-break, the Parent Handbook describes allocation by straight-line measurement between the home and the academy. If you are relying on a distance tie-break, use FindMySchoolMap Search to check your own distance precisely, and always treat any historic cut-offs as indicative only.

Open events are typically used as the practical gateway for families who want to understand expectations and routines. The academy has historically run open evenings in September for Year 6 families, and the events calendar shows a Year 6 Open Evening scheduled in late September in prior years, which suggests a consistent annual pattern.

For in-year applications, the academy sets out a process that begins with checking whether a place is available in the relevant year group, then applies oversubscription criteria if demand exceeds available places.

A key strength in the 2023 inspection is the student experience of safety and support. Students reported they were happy at school, that behaviour had improved, and that staff deal fairly with conduct issues. Bullying was described as occasional, with students confident that staff will address incidents.

The academy has also formalised practical routines that reduce daily friction. The published academy day begins with line ups at 08:25, then registration and five one-hour periods, with the taught day ending at 15:00. Breakfast provision is used as a support mechanism, with breakfast club available from 08:00 each morning. For families managing early starts or children who struggle to eat before leaving home, this can be a meaningful inclusion support rather than a minor extra.

Personal development is not treated as a bolt-on. Ofsted reports that students learn how to keep safe online, learn about healthy living, and develop a clear understanding of fundamental British values such as democracy and human rights.

Extracurricular life is framed around participation and responsibility, not just leisure. Ofsted notes a wide range of clubs, giving examples including badminton, basketball and football, plus strong participation in Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. It also highlights structured student roles, including anti-bullying ambassadors, behaviour mentors, prefects, and a student council.

The academy’s own timetable examples make this feel concrete. A published PE activities timetable for Spring shows lunchtime badminton and basketball, and after-school sessions including Year 7 football, girls football training, netball across multiple year groups, boys rugby for Years 7 to 9, and a Sports Leaders opportunity for selected pupils. The implication is that sport is organised at both participation level and leadership level, which can suit students who want responsibility as well as activity.

Reading and cultural participation are also given a specific structure. The literacy pages describe a library positioned as a core study space, supported by competitions and clubs, including a group called the Lees Bookers who take part in the Carnegie Award Shadowing scheme, and a dedicated Well-Being Corner as a silent space for students who need it. For some students, having a calm, supervised place to reset at break or lunch is a meaningful part of wellbeing.

Music provision is similarly specific. The music curriculum page references clubs including Choir, Music club, and a KS4 Music clinic, plus practice time for band or solo work in practice rooms at lunch and after school.

The academy day is clearly laid out, students should be on site by 08:20, line ups begin at 08:25, and the taught day runs to 15:00. Breakfast club operates from 08:00. After-school clubs commonly run straight after the taught day, and some PE provision is scheduled 15:00 to 16:00.

For travel, the academy highlights bus routes 20 and 26 (Arriva, with a short walk) and route 32 (Trent Barton, direct to the academy).

• Results are a key watch point. GCSE outcomes sit below England average on the headline measures, including a Progress 8 score of -0.24. Families should ask what has changed since the latest published results and how consistently checking understanding is now embedded across subjects.

• Consistency in lessons is still an improvement focus. External evaluation highlights strong curriculum planning and clear explanations, but also identifies inconsistency in how some teachers check understanding and ensure work is completed to a high standard. This matters most for students who need tight classroom routines to stay on track.

• The sixth form is strongly vocational in character. For many students, that is the point, with technical qualifications and employer-linked routes central to the offer. Students aiming primarily for a traditional academic A-level route should ask for the current academic subject range and recent headline outcomes before committing.

Lees Brook Academy offers a structured secondary experience with a clear behaviour framework, prioritised reading support, and a sixth form designed around practical progression. It is best suited to families who value clarity, routines, and a technical or vocational pathway post-16, alongside the option to continue core qualifications. The main question to resolve is academic consistency across classrooms, and whether recent curriculum and teaching improvements are now showing through strongly in outcomes.