Ofsted: Outstanding trending_up Popular emoji_events #6 in Wakefield public Top 18% UK

Castleford Academy

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMr Wesley Bush

corporate_fareCASTLEFORD ACADEMY TRUST

location_onCastleford, WF10 4JQ

language Visit Website phone 1977605060

verified

Ofsted

Outstanding

Inspected 2025

groups

Students

1,503

trending_up

Attainment 8

48.5

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GCSE Rank

#5 in Wakefield

#1,144 of 3,216 nationally

summarize

Castleford Academy is a Academy converter secondary school in Castleford, serving ages 11-16. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted — the highest possible grade. Demand is above capacity (1.0×) — apply through your local authority on time.

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School Summary

Castleford Academy is an academy converter in Castleford, Wakefield, admitting pupils aged 11-16. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. It is part of CASTLEFORD ACADEMY TRUST. The school has approximately 1,477 pupils on roll, of whom 28% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 48.5, placing the school #5 in Wakefield and #1,144 of 3,216 nationally. 50.50% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 21.0% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2025. The school's current overall rating is Outstanding. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Good, behaviour and attitudes Good, personal development Outstanding, and leadership and management Good.

The school is oversubscribed — in the most recent cycle, there were 1.0× as many applications as places, making a successful application competitive.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 18.5:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were 4 permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 7.4 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

48.5

Grade 5+ E&M

50.50%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)21.0%

Entering EBacc18.00%

EBacc APS4.08

2024

Progress 8 Score

0.41

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

48.6

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc21.60%

EBacc APS4.16

2023

Progress 8 Score

0.53

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

49.3

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc18%

EBacc APS4.10

2022

Progress 8 Score

0.63

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

52.8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc20%

EBacc APS4.44

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc16%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

0.4

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

48.4

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc33%

EBacc APS4.05

2018

Progress 8 Score

0.54

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

48.7

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc9%

EBacc APS3.86

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

88%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)81%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)10%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

94%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)81%

Apprenticeships5%

Employment7%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)6%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

91%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)77%

Apprenticeships5%

Employment9%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)8%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

92%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)84%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)7%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

93%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)85%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)6%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2023

2022

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

28 January 2025

Inspection Report

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09 October 2019

Inspection Report

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27 June 2018

Inspection Report

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24 September 2014

Inspection Report

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25 September 2012

Inspection Report

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14 February 2012

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

5 Evaluations

2025-01-28

S5 Inspection EIF

Not Judged

info

Why no overall grade?

From autumn 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing a single headline grade (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate). Instead, each inspection area is graded individually. This follows a major review after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. The overall effectiveness field is left as "Not judged" in the published data.

Education

Good

Behaviour

Good

Development

Outstanding

Leadership

Good

2019-10-09

S5 Inspection EIF

Outstanding

Education

Outstanding

Behaviour

Outstanding

Development

Outstanding

Leadership

Outstanding

2018-06-27

None Legacy

No Judgement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

Development

Leadership

2014-09-24

S5 Inspection Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

2012-09-25

None Legacy

Good

Education

Good

Behaviour

Development

Leadership

Good

history Predecessor Link

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

6.2%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

3.4%(50 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

2pupils

gavel Exclusion recorded

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,477 pupils. During this period, there were 91 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 6.2%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,477	91	6.2%	7.3%	2
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,497	130	8.7%	7.8%	2
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,506	121	8.0%	7.4%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,513	122	8.1%	7.1%	1
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,521	194	12.8%	8.2%	4
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,498	129	8.6%	6.6%	1
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,503	80	5.3%	6.4%	1
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,507	66	4.4%	5.9%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	1,480	47	3.2%	4.7%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	1,479	42	2.8%	4.9%	1
2021/22 (Autumn term)	1,488	58	3.9%	4.4%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	1,459	44	3.0%	3.6%	2
2020/21 (Spring term)	1,469	21	1.4%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	1,462	67	4.6%	3.9%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	1,411	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	1,412	26	1.8%	3.2%	1
2019/20 (Autumn term)	1,416	51	3.6%	4.2%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	1,368	21	1.5%	3.1%	1
2018/19 (Spring term)	1,374	48	3.5%	3.8%	1
2018/19 (Autumn term)	1,376	38	2.8%	3.8%	0
2017/18 (Summer term)	1,314	35	2.7%	3.4%	2
2017/18 (Spring term)	1,322	53	4.0%	3.0%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	1,326	31	2.3%	3.7%	1
2016/17 (Summer term)	1,265	37	2.9%	3.0%	2
2016/17 (Spring term)	1,267	32	2.5%	3.3%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	1,264	18	1.4%	3.1%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 61 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 58 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 34 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 26 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 24 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 20 pupils

Hearing Impairment 17 pupils

Visual Impairment 5 pupils

Severe Learning Difficulty 4 pupils

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Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

26.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

47.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

6.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree6%

agree44%

disagree28%

strongly disagree16%

don't know6%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree9%

agree34%

disagree25%

strongly disagree31%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree9%

agree16%

disagree19%

strongly disagree53%

not applicable3%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree22%

agree34%

disagree25%

strongly disagree13%

don't know6%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree6%

agree31%

disagree38%

strongly disagree22%

don't know3%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree6%

agree31%

disagree31%

strongly disagree31%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree22%

agree59%

disagree13%

strongly disagree3%

don't know3%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree22%

agree56%

disagree6%

strongly disagree9%

don't know6%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree6%

agree13%

disagree16%

strongly disagree56%

don't know9%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes25%

no75%

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School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Wakefield

The King's School

Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College

Trinity Academy Cathedral

Horbury Academy

Kettlethorpe High School

Carleton High School