Castleford Park Junior Academy, Castleford
Castleford Park 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 February 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 10 schools in Castleford with published results, and 7,614th of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Capacity
- 97% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Castleford Park Junior Academy in detail
Castleford Park Junior Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "At Castleford Park Junior Academy, our core values of Care , Aspire , Succeed are at the heart of everything we do. They shape our culture, guide our decisions, and inspire every pupil to achieve their very best-academically and personally."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care, from £4.50 per day.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Castleford Park Junior Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Wakefield and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 75% in reading and 68% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Castleford Park 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 Castleford Park Junior Academy are St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford (0.2 miles, Good, 69% reading, 59% maths); Glasshoughton Infant Academy (0.2 miles, Good); Castleford Wheldon Infant School and Nursery (0.3 miles, Good); and Smawthorne Henry Moore Academy (0.5 miles).
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School CastlefordGlasshoughton Infant AcademyCastleford Wheldon Infant School and NurserySmawthorne Henry Moore Academy
The trust
Castleford Park Junior Academy is one of 9 schools run by Castleford Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
6.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 76 pupils (18.4%) received SEN support and 26 (6.3%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Castleford Park Junior Academy has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs and social, emotional and mental health needs: 16 places, 1 pupil on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Castleford Rail Station, about 730 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Castleford Civic Centre (opposite), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 358 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. 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, Castleford Park Junior Academy issued 15 suspensions, 3.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Castleford Park Junior Academy are Castleford Academy (under 0.1 miles) and Airedale Academy (1.3 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from February 2019, 7 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 February 2019 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
24.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Speech and language, SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 68% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.4
Avg class size
29.4
KS2
14
Total classes
1 class 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 Castleford Park Junior Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Castleford Park Junior Academy.
- Premier Education Castleford830m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Castleford Park Junior Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Castleford Park 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
- 19
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 15 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
8 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
97%
Near capacity
409 pupils
420 places
11 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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
76
SEN Support
26
EHC Plans
24.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Castleford Park Junior Academy has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs and social, emotional and mental health needs: 16 places, 1 pupil on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
412
Total Pupils
208
Boys
204
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
22.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,447
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,096
Per pupil
£2339k
Total funding
£171k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
11.9%
Persistent absence
419
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
Castleford Park Junior Academy
Questions parents ask about Castleford Park Junior Academy
What are SATs results like at Castleford Park Junior Academy?
Of the pupils at Castleford Park Junior Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is Castleford Park Junior Academy's Ofsted rating?
Castleford Park Junior Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Castleford Park Junior Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Castleford Park 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 Castleford Park Junior Academy?
Castleford Park Junior Academy was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Castleford Park Junior Academy?
Classes at Castleford Park Junior Academy average 29.4 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Castleford Park Junior Academy?
Castleford Park Junior Academy has around 412 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Castleford Park Junior Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Castleford Park Junior Academy has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs and social, emotional and mental health needs: 16 places, 1 pupil on roll.
What is attendance like at Castleford Park Junior Academy?
5% of sessions were missed at Castleford Park Junior Academy in 2024/25. 11.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Castleford Park Junior Academy?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming Castleford Park 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.
Does Castleford Park Junior Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Castleford Park Junior Academy: Premier Education Castleford (830m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Castleford Park Junior Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 15 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 8 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 Castleford Park Junior Academy?
Castleford Park Junior Academy is at Medley Street, Castleford, West Yorkshire, WF10 4BB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)