Airedale Academy is a mainstream secondary school with resourced provision in Castleford, Wakefield, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. Its specialist base has 20 places for speech, language and communication.
- Ages 11–18
- 1,008 pupils
- Ofsted: Requires improvement
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with resourced provision
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- Resourced provision, 20 places, 2 pupils
- Pupils
- 1,008
- Headteacher
- Mr Andy Percival (Principal)
- Part of
- Castleford Academy Trust
- Council
- Wakefield
- School reference (URN)
- 136613
Needs its base supports
1 need: speech and language
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Wakefield (12)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Wakefield council) that you want this school and its base, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Requires improvement, January 2024; school remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (November 2022)
Rated Requires improvement at its last graded inspection, in January 2024.
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
- Personal developmentRequires improvement
- Leadership and managementRequires improvement
- Sixth formRequires improvement
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, November 2022).
Contact and getting there
Crewe Road, Airedale, Castleford, WF10 3JU
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Oyster Park Primary Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.5 miles
- Castleford Park Junior Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 7–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.4 miles
- Castleford Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 1.5 miles
By need in Wakefield: Speech and language (13) · Autism (11) · Severe learning (5) · SEMH (3) · Moderate learning (3) · PMLD (2) · Hearing (2)
Questions about Airedale Academy
How do I get a place in Airedale Academy’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does Airedale Academy support?
Speech, language and communication. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Airedale Academy take?
Aged 11 to 18, boys and girls.
What is Airedale Academy’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Requires improvement by Ofsted in January 2024 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Airedale Academy?
Crewe Road, Airedale, Castleford, WF10 3JU, in Wakefield.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.