Airedale Academy Review 2026: State secondary with a small sixth form and a renewed improvement focus

Airedale Academy serves students aged 11 to 18 in Airedale, within Wakefield Local Authority. The academy day runs from 8:45am to 3:00pm, giving 31.25 hours per week.

The latest Ofsted inspection took place on 30 and 31 January 2024 and resulted in Requires Improvement across all areas, including sixth form provision. Safeguarding was judged effective.

A key recent change is leadership. Andrew Percival introduced himself as the new Headteacher in December 2024, setting out an explicit emphasis on raising standards in behaviour, attendance, and punctuality.

This is a school that is clear about where it is heading, and why. The published vision and values sit under the Castleford Trust umbrella, with an ethos framed by Care, Aspire, Succeed. That language matters because it aligns neatly with the improvement priorities that are most visible in formal feedback, namely consistency in classrooms and conduct in corridors.

Day to day experience is shaped by the school’s push for consistent routines and predictable expectations. The academy describes a calm, consistent timetable as a deliberate foundation for learning, and the official timings provide a clear structure to the day.

At the same time, families should go in with eyes open about variability. The most recent inspection describes a mixed picture, with many students behaving well, but a minority disrupting learning and a need for staff consistency in applying the behaviour system. That combination often feels like a school in transition, where expectations are being tightened and adults are working to make the same routines stick in every classroom.

At GCSE, the headline indicators in the latest available dataset point to a school that is currently below England averages on key measures. The academy’s Attainment 8 score is 34, and its Progress 8 score is -0.72, which indicates that, on average, students have been making less progress than similar students nationally from their starting points.

On EBacc measures, the picture is also challenging. The average EBacc APS is 2.89 compared with an England average of 4.08, and 10.8% achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc combination.

Rankings reinforce the same message. Ranked 3449th in England and 15th in Wakefield for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), results sit below England average overall, placing the school in the lower band of performance nationally.

For families using the site to compare options locally, the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools can be useful for lining up GCSE measures and demand indicators side by side, especially where neighbouring schools differ sharply in Progress 8.

The strongest way to understand teaching here is through consistency. The school has introduced new approaches to strengthen the quality of education, and students study a broad range of subjects, but the most recent inspection highlights that curriculum planning and teaching are not consistently strong across subjects. That matters because it affects whether students retain and apply knowledge securely over time.

Where the school provides more detail, it tends to be concrete and structured. For example, mathematics is mapped through clear curriculum themes and explicitly references teaching the OCR GCSE specification through Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 sequencing, which signals an attempt to reduce surprises later and build fluency earlier.

Literacy is also treated as a whole school priority, not just an English department issue. The reading curriculum for Years 7 and 8 includes a discrete weekly reading lesson, uses reciprocal reading strategies (Predict, Clarify, Question, Summarise), and is supported by programmes such as Bookbuzz. The practical implication is that weaker readers get protected time and a consistent method, rather than relying on subject lessons to carry all the literacy load.

For many families, the most reassuring destination data is whether students progress into sustained education, training, or work. In the 2023/24 leaver cohort (36 students), 31% progressed to university, 6% moved into apprenticeships, and 47% entered employment. This mix suggests the school is working with a broad spread of post 16 intentions, with a sizeable group moving directly into the labour market.

The sixth form itself is deliberately small, and the school presents it as specialist. On the school’s own description, the main post 16 offer centres on Performing Arts, Health and Social Care, and Business, with a study environment that includes a purpose built common room and study area.

Independent commentary on the sixth form offer also describes it as vocationally focused, with BTEC Extended Diplomas in the same three areas. The implication is a clearer route for students who want a concentrated applied programme, rather than a broad A-level menu.

Year 7 places are coordinated by Wakefield Local Authority for families living in the Wakefield area, with applicants outside Wakefield applying through their home authority. The school’s admissions page is unusually explicit about the next cycle: the deadline for applying for a secondary school place for September 2026 is 31 October 2025.

Wakefield Council’s published guidance also confirms the offer timeline, with families able to see the outcome of their application from 12:30am on 2 March 2026.

If you are trying to assess realistic chances, distance based criteria and oversubscription rules sit with the Local Authority’s coordinated scheme and the school’s published admission arrangements. FindMySchool’s Map Search can help families sanity check home-to-school distance precisely, but admission still depends on how other applicants fall in that particular year.

The academy positions pastoral work as a partnership with parents and carers, and it sets out a familiar set of routes for support through tutors, mentors, and year teams. The school also signals a strong interest in early identification and inclusion for students with special educational needs and disabilities, although the most recent inspection highlights that support has been variable, with prioritisation strongest for students with Education, Health and Care Plans.

Safeguarding is a key baseline question for any parent. The latest inspection states that safeguarding arrangements are effective, which is an important underpinning for all other improvement work.

Behaviour and language culture are an area where families should probe in open events and conversations. The inspection record describes incidents of derogatory and discriminatory language and notes inconsistency in staff application of behaviour routines. A school can improve quickly here, but it requires leadership, training, and follow through, so parents should ask how consistency is being monitored and how students are being supported back into learning after sanctions.

The most distinctive enrichment feature repeatedly referenced in formal records is Airedale on Tour, described as a programme of trips that students respond to positively. It functions as a reward, but also as cultural exposure, giving students structured opportunities beyond the local area.

Reading also has an outward facing element. The school’s partnership work includes the Castleford Tigers Foundation Read to Succeed programme, involving player-led assemblies and lesson visits linked to reading. For some students, that kind of role model driven literacy work can be a practical motivator, especially where engagement has been historically fragile.

Post 16 enrichment is positioned as part of sixth form expectations. The school highlights volunteering with younger pupils, performance opportunities, and the role model dimension of being in Year 12 and Year 13. Combined with the vocational focus, that can suit students who prefer applied learning plus real responsibilities, rather than a purely exam centred culture.

The academy day runs from 8:45am to 3:00pm.

For travel, official local guidance highlights good bus links across Wakefield and the surrounding area, with Castleford train station a short bus ride away.

Wraparound care is not usually a defining feature for secondary schools, but families who need supervised time before or after the official day should check current on site arrangements directly with the academy, as these can change year to year.

• Inspection profile and pace of improvement. The most recent Ofsted judgement is Requires Improvement across every area, including sixth form. This sets a clear improvement agenda and suggests families should ask what has changed since January 2024, and what impact leaders can evidence so far.

• Behaviour and learning disruption. Formal feedback highlights inconsistency in applying behaviour routines and reports that disruption can affect learning for others. For some students, that is a major barrier to progress, so it is worth discussing how classrooms are stabilised and how staff consistency is being strengthened.

• GCSE outcomes are currently below England averages. With a negative Progress 8 score and lower EBacc indicators, this is a school where academic improvement is a core priority rather than an established strength. Families should explore what targeted support is in place for Key Stage 4, particularly for students who need structure and frequent feedback.

• A small, specialist sixth form. The post 16 offer is focused and vocational, which can be a very good fit for some students, but it will not suit those wanting a broad A-level curriculum choice.

Airedale Academy is a comprehensive 11 to 18 school with an explicitly stated improvement mission and a small, specialist sixth form offer. The current data and the latest inspection point to real work to do on consistency of teaching and behaviour, alongside a clear safeguarding baseline and a timetable designed to support routine.

Who it suits: students who will benefit from clear structure, vocational post 16 pathways, and a school that is actively tightening routines, especially where family engagement is strong and attendance is prioritised. Entry remains straightforward through Local Authority admissions, but the educational experience is best judged by how convincingly the school can demonstrate progress against the January 2024 improvement priorities.