Schools by area › Wakefield › Castleford Academy
Castleford Academy
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Academy
Ferrybridge Road, Castleford WF10 4JQ · castlefordacademy.com · 01977 605060
On the mapSearch near WF10 4JQ
Overview
- Ofsted
- No overall grade
- 2019 framework · inspected Jan 2025
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 48.5
- average Attainment 8 score. Wakefield 45.1, England 46
- Demand for places
- 1.0
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 1,480
- 99% of 1,500 places
- Local authority
- Wakefield
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 28.7%
- First language not English
- 5.8%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, 291 families put the school first and 280 places were offered; 96% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Year 7 | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 280 | 291 | 1▲ | 96% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 279 | 316 | 1.1▲ | 88% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 291 | 300 | 1▲ | 96% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 289 | 340 | 1.2▲ | 84% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 286 | 338 | 1.2▲ | 84% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 48.5, and 50.5% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Wakefield it was 45.1, and across England 46.
GCSE results
Attainment 8
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▲48.5 | 46.0 | ||
| ▲50.5% | 45.4% | ||
| ●66.8% | 64.8% | ||
| ▼18.0% | 40.5% | ||
| ●4.08 | 4.09 |
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| School sixth form | 2 | −1 |
| Sixth form college | 35.2 | −3.1 |
| Further education | 50.8 | +10.7 |
| Apprenticeship | 2 | −2.8 |
| Employment | 3.3 | −2.6 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 6 | +0.1 |
| Activity not captured | 0.7 | −1.2 |
A levels and other 16 to 18 results
| 2016/17 | Students | Average grade | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied general | 19 | — | +0.45 |
| Earlier years: Applied general | Students | Average grade | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 | 31 | — | +0.17 |
Where sixth-form leavers went
| Left in 2021/22 | |
|---|---|
| University | 26.3 |
| Further education | 10.5 |
| Apprenticeship | 5.3 |
| Employment | 42.1 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 15.8 |
Ofsted
Ofsted inspected Castleford Academy on 28 January 2025 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.
- Overall
- No overall grade
- Inspected
- 28 Jan 2025
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Good |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Outstanding |
| Leadership and management | Good |
Previously: Outstanding, graded inspection, Oct 2019
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Oct 2019Outstanding
Quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth form Outstanding Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Jun 2018Monitoring visit
Safeguarding Effective Sept 2014Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good 16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement Sept 2012Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good
What parents said
73% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (150 replies, to 1 September 2025).
- Recommend
- 73%
- Replies
- 150
- 10% · 1 Sept 2025
based on the 80% who raised concerns
based on the 38% who had a child bullied
based on 41 parents (27%) with SEND