Carleton High School
Academy converter · 1,026 pupils
79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 47.5
Academy converter
Airedale Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,008of 1,250 places
- Free school meals
- 51.9%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 195
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement, 30 January 2024Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Airedale High School (URN 108278, until 1 April 2011).
What the data says
Of the 178 pupils who finished Year 11 at Airedale Academy in 2023, 13% stayed on in Airedale Academy’s own sixth form (Wakefield average 12%), 48% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 36 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 31% went to university (Wakefield 35%, England 37%), and 0% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were well below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 33.8 against 46.1 across England and 45.1 in Wakefield, with 25% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
12% of leavers were not in sustained education, employment or training six months on, compared with 6% nationally.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Wakefield and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Airedale Academy | Wakefield | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 178 | 3,844 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 87% | 89% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 79% | 82% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 13% | 12% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 17% | 28% | 13% |
| — further education college | 48% | 41% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 12% | 8% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Airedale Academy | Wakefield | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 36 | 3,906 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 83% | 80% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 31% | 35% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 0% | 14% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 9% | 7% |
| Employment | 47% | 30% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 14% | 17% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Airedale Academy | Wakefield | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 33.8 | 45.1 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 25% | 46% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 44% | 65% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 5% | 33% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 2.81 | 3.95 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 48% | 28% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 27.5 | 33.4 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 39.7 | 49.6 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 8% | 12% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 188 | 96% | 88% | 8% | 22% | 49% |
| English Language | 188 | 96% | 89% | 5% | 20% | 52% |
| English Literature | 187 | 96% | 86% | 7% | 21% | 59% |
| Combined Science | 182 | 93% | 65% | 6% | 9% | 45% |
| Geography | 108 | 55% | 41% | 3% | 25% | 41% |
| History | 47 | 24% | 41% | 9% | 26% | 36% |
| Fine Art | 45 | 23% | 9% | 9% | 28% | 62% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 35 | 18% | 8% | 0% | 21% | 11% |
| French | 18 | 9% | 18% | 28% | 29% | 56% |
| Business Studies | 18 | 9% | 18% | 17% | 20% | 72% |
| 3D Design | 17 | 9% | 2% | 0% | 16% | 18% |
| Art and Design | 1 | 1% | 7% | — | 24% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 75 | — | — |
| Health Studies | 44 | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 26 | — | — |
| Sports Studies | 26 | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | 21 | — | — |
| Multimedia | 7 | — | — |
| Music performance: Group | 3 | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Wakefield
Castleford Academy
Academy converter · 1,480 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.5
Crofton Academy
Academy converter · 1,045 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.5
De Lacy Academy
Academy converter · 853 pupils
70% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.6
Horbury Academy
Academy converter · 1,070 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.7
Kettlethorpe High School
Community school · 1,616 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.9
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.