School profile

The Featherstone Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Pontefract, WF7 5AJ

Good

Map showing The Featherstone Academy

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,693 of 3,312

Worse than 81% of schools in England

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

The Featherstone Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 7 Feb 2017

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils556 of 600 places
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMrs Julia McCluskey
TrustRESILIENCE MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Local authorityWakefield
Opened01 Sept 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 138593.

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 score39.745.846.2
Grade 4 or above in English and maths56.4%66.7%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and maths39.4%47.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and maths10.6%13.7%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths47.9%61.7%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 494--

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

Pupils

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils556
Girls245
Boys311
Eligible for free school meals40.8%
First language not English4.3%
SEN support120
EHC plan58
Average class size23.9

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

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Pupils ethnicity

White British
88.8%
Other White
2.9%
Other mixed
1.4%
African
1.4%
Other Black
1.1%
White and Asian
0.7%
Other Asian
0.5%
Irish
0.4%
Traveller of Irish heritage
0.4%
White and Black Caribbean
0.4%

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

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed. Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means missing 50% or more.

MeasureThis schoolWakefieldEngland
Overall absence11.2%9.1%8%
Persistent absence30.3%23.9%21.6%
Severe absence7.2%5.2%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 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)98
Applications (Year 7)231
First preference applications (Year 7)96
First preference offers (Year 7)96
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)0

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

Capacity

2024/25
MeasureThis school
School places600
Pupils on roll525
Unfilled places12.5%

Source: DfE, School capacity, Academic year 2024/25, published 19 Mar 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17
Pupils per adult14.4
Teachers (FTE)32.8
Teaching assistants (FTE)1.93
Support staff (FTE)25.76
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2535.4
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2523.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/252
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/259.8

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

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25
MeasureThis school
Suspension rate114.9%
Pupils with one or more suspensions22.9%
Permanent exclusion rate1.1%
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 destination87.5%
Staying in education84.1%
Further education58%
Sixth form college23.9%
Not sustained9.1%
Apprenticeship2.3%
School sixth form1.1%
Employment1.1%

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 The Featherstone Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.6 miPrimaryFeatherstone Purston Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryFeatherstone Purston St Thomas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Requires improvement
0.7 miPrimaryFeatherstone North Featherstone Junior and Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.9 miPrimaryFeatherstone Girnhill Infant SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryArk Larks Hill Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.2 miPrimaryArk Halfpenny Lane Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.2 miSecondaryArk The King's SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.4 miPrimaryArk Carleton Park Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Outstanding
1.4 mi16 plusNew College PontefractAcademy 16-19 converter
Unrated
1.4 miPrimaryFeatherstone All Saints CofE AcademyAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about The Featherstone Academy

What is The Featherstone Academy's Ofsted rating?

The Featherstone Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 7 Feb 2017.

How does The Featherstone Academy rank in England?

The Featherstone Academy ranks 2,693 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 81% of schools).

How many pupils attend The Featherstone Academy?

The Featherstone Academy has 556 pupils aged 11 to 16, with capacity for 600.

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.