Padgate Academy

About Padgate Academy

Padgate Academy is a mixed state secondary school in Warrington, serving 642 pupils aged 11 to 16 under headteacher Adam McMillan. Within the local authority, it ranks 11th out of 13 schools of its type by Progress 8 score, placing it in the bottom half of Warrington’s secondary landscape. The top-performing peers in the area are Lymm High School, King’s Leadership Academy Warrington, and Bridgewater High School, all of which sit well above Padgate in the rankings. The school’s Progress 8 score of -0.66 is significantly below the Warrington local authority average of -0.29, and its national ranking places it in the bottom 11% of all secondary schools in England. Despite these figures, the school has been rated Good by Ofsted following its May 2023 inspection, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2016. The school is heavily oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 266 applications for 141 places and 105 first-preference offers, suggesting strong local demand.

Academically, Padgate’s results reflect a school working to raise attainment. Its Attainment 8 score of 34.7 is below the national average, and only 38.6% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths (the basics 9-4 measure), dropping to 22.8% for the stronger 9-5 threshold. The EBacc average point score is 3.14, with just 16.5% of pupils entering the EBacc achieving a grade 4 or above. Progress 8 breakdowns show negative scores across all subject areas, with the weakest performance in open subjects (-0.81) and the strongest in maths (-0.48). The school’s Progress 8 banding is classified as ‘Well below average’. However, the Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated all key areas as Good, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The school has a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 49.4%, well above the national average, which provides important context for its outcomes.

Padgate Academy offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, theatre, science labs, art studios, and music rooms, alongside a sixth form centre despite not having a sixth form itself. Sports provision includes gymnastics, netball, swimming, and martial arts, while clubs range from Eco Club and Young Enterprise to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Model UN. The school has a strong SEND offer, with provisions for specific learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, social and emotional mental health needs, and a resourced provision. With 642 pupils against a capacity of 750, the school is not at full capacity but is oversubscribed, receiving 1.89 applications per place. This school will suit families who value a Good-rated local option with improving Ofsted grades, strong SEND support, and a wide extracurricular programme, particularly those who prioritise proximity and community feel over top-tier academic rankings.

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