The school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority. Most pupils are White British. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average. The Danesgate Community is the one alternative provider used by the school. The school uses the alternative provision for a very small number of pupils. The acting headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection. She was previously a deputy headteacher at the school and appointed as acting headteacher from 1 December 2014. In the spring and summer terms of 2015, Archbishop Holgate School, an outstanding academy in York, has provided additional advice and training support to Canon Lee School. A deputy headteacher at Canon Lee has been seconded from Archbishop Holgate School from 1 September 2015 for one year. The school has a consultant headteacher to support the acting headteacher. The consultant headteacher is from a local school, Milthorpe School, and works at Canon Lee for one day a week. The school meets the current government floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 11. The school holds the Investors in Pupils status. Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes to staffing and leadership at the school. Some appointments, particularly to the senior leadership team, have been very recent. The school organises a breakfast club for pupils which is run by school staff. It runs each day from 7.30am to 8.30am.