Airedale Junior Academy, Castleford
Airedale Junior Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Castleford, part of Castleford Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 10 schools in Castleford with published results, and 9,159th of 14,452 across England. It was 79% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Capacity
- 79% full
- Attendance
- Below England average
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Airedale Junior Academy in detail
Airedale Junior Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "As Headteacher, I am extremely proud to welcome you to Airedale Junior Academy. Located in Airedale, Castleford, we are a large junior school dedicated to teaching children from Year 3 to Year 6."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care, from £4.00 per day.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at Airedale Junior Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 75% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Wakefield and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 63% in reading and 49% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Airedale Junior Academy
Across Wakefield, 94% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Wakefield lodged 154 appeals against primary school offers; 82 reached a hearing and 13 succeeded (15.9% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Airedale Junior Academy are Airedale Infant Academy (under 0.1 miles, Good); Townville Academy (under 0.1 miles); Fairburn View Primary School, Castleford (0.4 miles, Good, 60% reading, 55% maths); and Oyster Park Primary Academy (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, 54% reading, 59% maths).
Airedale Junior Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Airedale Infant AcademyTownville AcademyFairburn View Primary School, CastlefordOyster Park Primary Academy
The trust
Airedale Junior Academy is one of 9 schools run by Castleford Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
41% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 94 pupils (24.4%) received SEN support and 21 (5.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Glasshoughton Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Kershaw Avenue, 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Airedale Junior Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 213 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Wakefield (130), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Airedale Junior Academy issued 25 suspensions, 6.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Airedale Junior Academy are Airedale Academy (0.2 miles) and Castleford Academy (1.1 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from December 2017, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2017 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
41.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 63% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 49% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 62% to 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.7
Avg class size
27.7
KS2
13
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Airedale Junior Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Airedale Junior Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Airedale Junior Academy is in Wakefield; for families living there:
- Wakefield's school travel policy: Home To School Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 36
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 36 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 24 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot and 3 on a bicycle.
12 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
79%
Available places
378 pupils
480 places
102 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Castleford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Castleford
Across Wakefield council
Places available
4,391
Applications
3,654
Got 1st preference
94.4%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Wakefield council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
94
SEN Support
21
EHC Plans
29.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
385
Total Pupils
189
Boys
196
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
22.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,687
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,584
Per pupil
£2404k
Total funding
£221k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.5%
Overall absence
19.0%
Persistent absence
399
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Airedale Junior Academy
Questions parents ask about Airedale Junior Academy
What are SATs results like at Airedale Junior Academy?
Of the pupils at Airedale Junior Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 75% did so in maths.
What is Airedale Junior Academy's Ofsted rating?
Airedale Junior Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Airedale Junior Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Airedale Junior Academy is oversubscribed, Wakefield allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Airedale Junior Academy?
Airedale Junior Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 79% of its 480 places.
How big are the classes at Airedale Junior Academy?
Classes at Airedale Junior Academy average 27.7 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Airedale Junior Academy?
Airedale Junior Academy has around 385 pupils on roll. 41% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Airedale Junior Academy?
6.5% of sessions were missed at Airedale Junior Academy in 2024/25. 19% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Airedale Junior Academy?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming Airedale Junior Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Airedale Junior Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 36 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 24 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot and 3 on a bicycle. 12 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Airedale Junior Academy?
Airedale Junior Academy is at Fryston Road, Airedale, Castleford, West Yorkshire, WF10 3EP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)