School profile

Castleford Academy

Secondary · Academy converter · Castleford, WF10 4JQ

Good

Map showing Castleford Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,497 of 3,312

Similar to most schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Castleford Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 28 Jan 2025

Area360 rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,480
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Wesley Bush
TrustCASTLEFORD ACADEMY TRUST
Local authorityWakefield
Opened01 Apr 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 136633.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolWakefieldEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.46.8, similar to England, similar to Wakefield45.846.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.70%, better than England, better than Wakefield66.7%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.48.4%, similar to England, similar to Wakefield47.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.13.9%, similar to England, similar to Wakefield13.7%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths65.5%, better than England, better than Wakefield61.7%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4287--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,480
Girls697
Boys783
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.28.7%
First language not English5.8%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,545
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.4.2%
Sixth form places2023/2450
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.221
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.88
Average class size25.4

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
87.2%
Other White
3.5%
Other mixed
2%
African
1.9%
Chinese
1.1%
White and Asian
0.9%
White and Black Caribbean
0.7%
Other Asian
0.5%
White and Black African
0.4%
Indian
0.4%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17.8
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.2
Teachers (FTE)83.11
Teaching assistants (FTE)28.54
Support staff (FTE)86.52
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2585.7
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2572.9
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/256
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/256.8

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.280
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.433
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.291
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.278
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)21

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolWakefieldEngland
Overall absence7.2%, better than England, better than Wakefield9.1%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.18.2%, better than England, better than Wakefield23.9%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3.4%, similar to England, better than Wakefield5.2%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate19.6%
Pupils with one or more suspensions7.8%
Permanent exclusion rate0.4%
Permanent exclusions6

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.93.4%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.88%
Further education50.8%
Sixth form college35.2%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6%
Employment3.3%
School sixth form2%
Apprenticeship2%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Castleford Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryCastleford Park Junior AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.2 miPrimarySt Joseph's Catholic Primary School CastlefordAcademy converter
Good
0.2 miPrimaryGlasshoughton Infant AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.3 miPrimaryCastleford Wheldon Infant School and NurseryCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimarySmawthorne Henry Moore AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryHalf Acres Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryAiredale Infant AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryTownville AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Requires improvement
1.1 miPrimaryAiredale Junior AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.2 miPrimaryFairburn View Primary School, CastlefordCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Castleford Academy

What is Castleford Academy's Ofsted rating?

Castleford Academy is rated Good, last inspected on 28 Jan 2025. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Castleford Academy rank in England?

Castleford Academy ranks 1,497 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (similar to most schools).

What are Castleford Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 48.4% of pupils at Castleford Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 46.8 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Castleford Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Castleford Academy made 280 offers from 433 applications (1.5 per offer), and 278 of 291 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Castleford Academy?

Castleford Academy has 1,480 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Castleford Academy?

Castleford Academy had 1,545 school places in 2024/25.

Does Castleford Academy have a sixth form?

Yes, Castleford Academy has a sixth form with 50 places in 2023/24.

How big are classes at Castleford Academy?

At Castleford Academy, the average class had 25.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.8 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Castleford Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Castleford Academy missed 7.2% of sessions (England 8%), and 18.2% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.