Airedale Academy

About Airedale Academy

Airedale Academy is a mixed secondary school in Wakefield with a current roll of 1,063 pupils against a capacity of 1,250, meaning it has room to grow. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 49.6%, which is significantly higher than the national average and signals a catchment with considerable socio-economic challenge. Despite this, the school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year: it received 211 applications for 177 places, with 141 of those coming as first preferences. That oversubscription ratio of 1.19 suggests strong local demand, even though the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024 rated it as Requires Improvement across all areas, including behaviour, leadership, and sixth-form provision. This marks a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2017, and parents considering the school will want to weigh the community pull against the current inspection outcome.

Academically, the school’s Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 cohort was -0.72, placing it well below average nationally and ranking it 17th out of 18 secondary schools in Wakefield. The Attainment 8 score of 34 is modest, and only 24.1% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, compared with 39.9% at grade 4 or above. The EBacc entry rate is low at 18.4%, and the EBacc average point score sits at 2.89. Progress in English (-0.4) is less negative than in maths (-0.82), but the overall picture is one of significant underperformance relative to the local authority average Progress 8 of 0. The sixth form also requires improvement, with a rating of 3 in its most recent inspection. For families focused on academic outcomes, these figures will be a central concern, though the school’s ranking in the bottom 50 nationally (2,866th out of 3,141) puts its challenges in stark context.

On the practical side, Airedale Academy offers a broad range of facilities including a theatre, gymnasium, music rooms, a sixth form centre, and a chapel. Sports provision covers cricket, netball, football, rowing, and martial arts, while clubs range from chess and debate to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Model UN. The school’s SEND provisions are extensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate to severe learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language challenges, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes it a potentially suitable choice for families whose children require additional support. The school is not a boarding option and operates as a standard state secondary with an official sixth form. Given its oversubscription, parents should be prepared to apply early, but the current inspection rating and exam results mean it will suit families who prioritise local community ties and inclusive provision over top-tier academic league table performance.

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