Airedale Academy
Castleford, WF10 3JU · Wakefield · secondary school
Check the area around this school
18th of 18 secondary schools in Wakefield we can score. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 3.6/10 against 305 of them, against 1.7/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 5 | 35% | 0.19 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 35.3 · 25 | 30% | 0.75 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.72 · 8 | 25% | 0.19 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 39.4 · 17 | 10% | 0.17 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Airedale Academy overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 25.1% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 33.8, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -0.72 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did worse than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (1.9 out of 10 against similar schools, 0.8 out of 10 against all schools). Ofsted rated the school Requires improvement in March 2024.
Getting in
The published school roll is 1,008 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,250. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to close the gap between their current attainment and the national median? What specific actions are being taken to address the Requires improvement rating from the 2024 inspection?
What Ofsted said about Airedale Academy
Overview
The inspection judged the school’s overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour, personal development, and leadership as ‘Requires improvement’. While the school has introduced new approaches and offers a broad curriculum, inconsistencies in teaching, assessment, and behaviour management mean many pupils do not achieve their potential.
Strengths
- Pupils study a “broad range of subjects” and benefit from “well-planned visits to extend their experience of the wider world.”
- The school provides a “wide range of enrichment activities that many pupils enjoy,” including initiatives like ‘Airedale on Tour’.
- Most staff are “proud to work at the school” and believe leaders are “considerate of their workload and well-being.”
- Trustees and trust leaders “work in partnership to challenge and support leaders effectively” and are committed to further improvement.
- The sixth form is “valued by the students,” who engage in community volunteering and complete additional university awards.
Areas to improve
- Assessment tasks must be improved to “gain a secure picture of pupils’ knowledge and understanding” so gaps in learning are addressed.
- New behavioural systems need to be “consistently applied” to ensure all pupils are supported to manage their behaviour and reduce disruption.
- The curriculum for personal development requires enhancement to help pupils develop a “secure understanding” of fundamental British values and respect for protected characteristics.
Safeguarding
The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 34.0 |
| 2024/25 | 33.8 |
| 2025/26 | 39.4 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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