Outwood Academy Freeston Review 2026: An improving 11 to 16 academy with a strong enrichment spine

A school can have a long local story and still feel firmly focused on what happens next. Here, the heritage runs deep, linked to founder John Freeston and a continuing charitable foundation that supports students. Yet the day to day identity is modern Outwood, with a clear “Students First” message, structured routines, and a deliberate emphasis on personal development alongside GCSE outcomes.

The recent trajectory matters. The latest Ofsted inspection (20 to 21 May 2025) graded Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, and Leadership and Management as Good. For families weighing this school against other Normanton options, that shift provides a useful anchor: expectations are high, the climate is calmer than it once was, and the focus has turned to consistency, especially around checking learning in lessons and ensuring students trust how bullying concerns are handled.

The clearest theme is pride. Students are expected to take their work seriously, and there are multiple ways that effort is made visible. One example is the Honours platform, where students work towards badges spanning academic, character, talent and community contribution, with up to 100 badges available. The implication for families is practical: recognition is not limited to the highest attainers; students who steadily build habits and contributions can accumulate a track record that staff can reference in mentoring, tutor time, and rewards.

A second distinctive thread is kindness, treated as something you practise, not simply a slogan. The school uses Random Acts of Kindness and makes those actions public through “RAK Trees”, recording kind acts by students and staff. This matters for culture because it gives staff a concrete mechanism to reinforce norms at scale, particularly important in a large secondary with a capacity of 1,050.

Student leadership is also deliberately structured. The Student Voice model includes a student Prime Minister, a Deputy Prime Minister, and cabinet leads who drive whole academy initiatives such as sustainability, charity, creative arts, anti bullying and mental wellbeing. For students who like responsibility, this creates a clear pathway into leadership roles that have defined remits rather than informal popularity.

It is also worth being clear about the edge cases, because they shape how the school feels. A small minority of students still report concerns about bullying and derogatory language, and while the school responds, the report notes that some students are unsure about the actions taken. In practice, that means families should pay attention to communication and follow up, not just headline policy.

Leadership is stable. Lisa Allott is listed as Principal on the academy website and on local authority school records, and she is named as Principal in inspection documentation. Governance information shows her in the headteacher or principal role by 05 November 2018.

This is an 11 to 16 school, so the academic headline is GCSE performance and the progress students make from their starting points.

On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school ranks 2,233rd in England and 1st in the Normanton local area. That position sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), which is a helpful shorthand for parents comparing multiple comprehensives.

For attainment, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 42.9. EBacc entry and success are more limited: 16.8% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in the EBacc, and the school’s average EBacc APS is 3.88, compared with an England average of 4.08.

Progress is the area to read carefully. The Progress 8 figure is -0.18, which indicates pupils make slightly below average progress compared with pupils nationally with similar starting points. The practical implication is that outcomes are not only about prior attainment; families should want to see how the school maintains momentum across Years 7 to 11 and how it responds when students fall behind.

Curriculum thinking is a strength. The inspection evidence describes a well planned curriculum informed by educational research, and highlights secure subject knowledge among staff. For parents, that usually shows up in two concrete ways: clearer sequencing of what is taught, and fewer gaps when students move between topics or teachers.

Mathematics is a useful example of the style. Staff are described as using probing questions to draw out understanding. That matters because it is one of the most reliable ways to spot misconceptions early, especially for students who can appear fluent while holding shaky foundations.

The remaining improvement priority is also practical, not cosmetic. The report notes that, at times, staff do not check learning consistently; when that happens, misconceptions and gaps can remain unaddressed. Families considering the school should ask how leaders are tightening classroom checking, particularly in mixed ability classes where variation in confidence can mask variation in understanding.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is described as quick to identify and well integrated into school life, with expert support and full inclusion in the curriculum. There is also a clear emphasis on reading, including swift intervention for pupils at the early stages of learning to read, alongside a wider reading culture supported by competitions and pupil librarians.

Where Students Go Next

With no sixth form on site, the main transition point is post 16. A strong careers programme is therefore not a “nice to have”, it is essential. The academy sets out a structured approach aligned to the Gatsby Benchmarks, and states that students receive at least one meaningful encounter with employers each year from Years 7 to 11.

In practice, this should help students make realistic decisions about routes after Year 11, whether that is a school sixth form, a sixth form college, a further education college, or an apprenticeship pathway. The 2025 inspection narrative also frames students as being well prepared for their next steps in education, training, or employment, which aligns with the school’s emphasis on personal development and guidance.

Admissions run through Wakefield’s co ordinated process, rather than direct application to the school. For September 2026 Year 7 entry, Wakefield’s online Parent Portal opens on 01 September 2025 and the national closing date for on time applications is 31 October 2025. Offers are viewable online from 00:30 on 02 March 2026.

The planned admission number for Year 7 entry is 210 places. If applications exceed places, priority is set in a typical hierarchy: looked after and previously looked after children first; then children in catchment (with siblings ahead of other catchment children); then siblings living outside catchment; then distance, measured as a straight line.

If you are comparing multiple Wakefield secondaries and want a realistic view of eligibility, it is worth using the FindMySchoolMap Search to check your distance to the school gates and to model different shortlist scenarios before you submit preferences.

Safeguarding messaging is prominent, with an explicit “culture of vigilance” and a focus on helping students understand how to keep themselves safe. Ofsted’s published inspection report states that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Beyond safeguarding, the school has built a visible wellbeing infrastructure. The academy’s wellbeing site describes Mental Wellbeing Ambassadors who support students, staff, parents and carers, including trained staff able to support in crisis and signpost to external services. For bullying reporting, the school references Tootoot, a reporting and support service that routes concerns to the wellbeing team to take action under the anti bullying policy.

The practical point for families is this: systems exist, but confidence in outcomes is what matters. The 2025 inspection notes that a small minority of students remain uncertain about the actions taken in response to bullying and derogatory language concerns. Families should ask how the school closes the loop with students and parents so that reporting leads to visible resolution.

Enrichment is not treated as an optional extra. Students are encouraged into multiple participation routes including Student Voice, Honours, sustainability work, and ambassador roles for anti bullying and mental wellbeing. That matters because it broadens who can “belong”; a student does not need to be a top athlete or lead performer to have a recognised role.

Clubs referenced in official inspection evidence include the debating society, role playing games and a culture club, alongside participation in drama productions at local theatres. The Honours badge system then provides a mechanism to convert participation into recognition, with tutor mediated evidence checking rather than passive attendance.

For Key Stage 3, the site also references masterclasses designed to stretch students further in their learning journey, taught across the wider trust. For students who like intellectual challenge, this can be a useful supplement to classroom learning, especially when paired with the school’s wider “most able” approach that includes enrichment, visits and outside speakers.

The published school day begins at 08:20 with Personal Development and Growth and lessons run through to 14:45. Term dates and closures are published on the academy site, including half term and holiday dates.

For travel, Normanton is served by rail, and Normanton station is the local rail hub for many families using public transport connections. Families who drive often find that morning traffic patterns vary considerably across the A655 corridor, so it is sensible to test the journey at school start time before committing.

Uniform, trips, and optional activities can create additional costs beyond state funding. The academy publishes uniform requirements and parents should review those details early, especially for Year 7 start up planning.

• Progress consistency. A Progress 8 score of -0.18 indicates slightly below average progress from Key Stage 2 starting points. Families should ask how the school identifies gaps early and how quickly interventions convert into improved subject outcomes.

• Bullying confidence and communication. A small minority of students report bullying or derogatory language, and some remain unsure about the actions taken. That can reduce trust even when staff respond, so families should ask how communication is handled and how students see resolutions.

• Competition within the local system. Year 7 entry is managed through Wakefield’s co ordinated process with a 210 place admission number. Oversubscription rules include catchment and distance priorities, so families outside catchment should be realistic about how allocation works in an oversubscribed year.

• No on site sixth form. The school’s careers guidance is therefore central to a good Year 11 experience. Families should look for clear, timely support for post 16 planning and application routes.

Outwood Academy Freeston is best read as a school on a clear improvement path, with Good grades across all inspected areas in May 2025 and a strong emphasis on enrichment, student leadership, and structured recognition through Honours. It will suit families who want a mainstream, non selective secondary with visible routines, a broad personal development offer, and multiple ways for students to gain recognition beyond grades. The key question for many families is consistency: ensuring progress rises and that students feel confident that bullying concerns lead to transparent, trusted outcomes.