Cockburn Reach Academy in Beeston, Leeds was inspected by Ofsted in February 2026.
During the inspection, inspectors judged the academy to be strong in four areas: Attendance and Behaviour, Inclusion, Leadership and Governance and Personal Development and Wellbeing. The new Ofsted strong standard shows that ‘Leaders are working above the standard expected of them’.
Cockburn Reach Academy is an independent special school which intends to provide education for up to 40 pupils aged five to 11 years. Their students come from primary schools across south Leeds for a range of reasons and are given a chance to be successful outside of a mainstream school setting. The academy is part of the Cockburn Multi-academy Trust and opened in September 2024.
Their focus is on education, and on keeping children in education that may otherwise not be in school. They aim to re-engage students with learning, offering smaller class sizes and personalised pastoral care to help them return to mainstream education. They strive to build positive relationships with parents and carers as they work together with the aim of getting pupils back in their schools as soon as possible.
Everybody is included and belongs at Cockburn Reach Academy. The staff work together to provide a broad, balanced, sequenced curriculum that supports and challenges all. They believe that learning should be engaging and purposeful and they strive to equip their children with future life skills so that they can thrive in and outside of Reach now and in the future. Every child is valued and deserves the best possible chance to succeed and achieve in a happy, positive learning environment. They enjoy celebrating their achievements in the local press and on their website.
During their visit, inspectors met with leaders, staff, and governors. They talked to pupils about their work and visited lessons in each area of school. Inspectors spoke with other stakeholders, such as a representative from the local authority and leaders from schools who have commissioned places.
The report recognises the caring nature of the school and that the pupils feel safe and supported, ‘Pupils enjoy coming to school. The school has the highest aspirations for them. From the start of a placement, staff prioritise getting to know pupils. They build highly effective and trusting relationships with pupils to help them get back on track.’ Inspectors reported that safeguarding standards are met and that ‘As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.’
During the inspection, inspectors saw the excellent attendance of pupils that reflected the normal day to day life of the school. ‘Many pupils make significant improvements in their attendance over time. The whole school ethos, where attendance is everyone’s business, enables pupils to attend more frequently and with greater focus.’
They also recognised excellent behaviour ‘Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Across school, staff manage pupils’ behaviour very well. Staff use approaches to promote positive behaviour with consistency across school. This helps pupils to get on with their learning in calm classrooms.’ The report adds that pupils ‘demonstrate positive behaviour around school. They are polite, kind and respectful towards staff and each other.’
The inspectors noted how ‘highly inclusive’ the school is and how it demonstrates ‘a secure understanding of the barriers pupils face. The school ensures the academic and pastoral offer for pupils is very well matched’ to the needs of the pupils and how they use ‘highly effective strategies and adaptations to support pupils.’
The inspectors highlighted the huge impact that leaders and governors at all levels across the school have made.
The report also signposts how others rate the school ‘The school community clearly recognises the positive difference the school makes to its pupils. Parents speak highly of the school’s work and recognise the difference it makes to their children.’
The report also highlights how the academy provides opportunities for personal development ‘The school’s offer for personal development is of high quality. It prioritises pupils’ wellbeing through a rich range of learning experiences and wider opportunities. The school has crafted daily opportunities to build confidence and self-esteem. Pupils take pride in caring for the school’s chickens and bearded dragon.’
As well as in school, the report praises how ‘Pupils visit places of worship to help them understand and respect different faiths. Other school visits help pupils experience the local area and contrasting locations, such as the coast. This broadens their experiences and understanding of the wider environment.’
The report judged two areas to be working at expected standard – Achievement and Curriculum and teaching. ‘This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non-statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.’ ‘Pupils produce work that is typically of a good quality across a range of curriculum subjects. They are proud to show and talk about their learning.’
‘The school’s curriculum is broad and highly ambitious. It focuses on supporting pupils to re-engage in learning well and equipping them with the foundational knowledge and skills they need.’
Headteacher, Mrs A Quinn, said:
“The Cockburn Reach Academy community is extremely proud of the feedback received from Ofsted and remains fully committed to continuing our journey towards excellence. This outcome reflects the significant collective effort of the whole academy in strengthening the quality of education for every pupil. Staff, families and young people have all played a vital role in ensuring that the academy continues to provide an excellent education, with a strong focus on helping pupils reintegrate to school successfully when they are ready.”
Executive Headteacher, Mr D Gurney MBE, said:
“Our vision of ‘Transformation to Excellence’ is underpinned by a relentless commitment to continuous improvement and high standards across all areas of our schools. This report recognises that ambition, highlighting strong outcomes alongside the care, support and development of our pupils within a nurturing and inclusive community. I would like to thank our pupils, staff, parents and carers, trustees and governors for their continued hard work, commitment and support. We have made a clear commitment to the community across south Leeds, and this report reflects another significant and highly positive achievement. Together, our dedicated staff team and pupils work tirelessly to provide an excellent education for all.”
You can read the full Ofsted report at: bit.ly/CRAOfsted26
This post is based on a press release issued by Cockburn Reach Academy
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