Outwood Academy Freeston, Normanton
Outwood Academy Freeston is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Normanton, part of Outwood Grange Academies Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 13th-highest of the 18 schools in Wakefield with published results, and 1,892nd of 3,298 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Wakefield (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Outwood Academy Freeston in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Outwood Academy Freeston averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Wakefield and 47 across England.
51% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 48% in Wakefield and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 44.6.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.18: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 36.5, against 47.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.4 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.
Getting a place at Outwood Academy Freeston
For September 2026 entry, 170 families put Outwood Academy Freeston as their first choice and 238 named it as one of their preferences, for 175 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Outwood Academy Freeston
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Outwood Academy Freeston are St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.1); Outwood Academy City Fields (2.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.5); Crofton Academy (2.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.3); and The Featherstone Academy (3.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.7).
Outwood Academy Freeston's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary AcademyOutwood Academy City FieldsCrofton AcademyThe Featherstone Academy
The trust
Outwood Academy Freeston is one of 40 schools run by Outwood Grange Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.4 in 2024/25.
What parents say
134 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Outwood Academy Freeston (as of September 2025): 54% would recommend the school, 60% say their child is happy there and 30% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (69%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (30%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 190 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 81% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 41% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.
Who goes there
7.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Normanton Rail Station, about 950 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Freeston Academy East, 150 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Outwood Academy Freeston issued 492 suspensions, 49.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Outwood Academy Freeston are Normanton All Saints CofE Infant School (0.3 miles), Normanton Junior Academy (0.3 miles), St. John the Baptist Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles) and Newlands Primary School (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Normanton All Saints CofE Infant SchoolNormanton Junior AcademySt. John the Baptist Catholic Primary SchoolNewlands Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Your child will be taught by knowledgeable teachers using a carefully planned curriculum supported by the latest research. The school celebrates kindness and diversity, with pupils taking pride in their achievements and developing secure knowledge they can apply across subjects. Strong support systems ensure all pupils, including those with additional needs, are fully included and well-prepared for their next steps.
Key Strengths
- Well-planned curriculum based on latest educational research with strong subject knowledge from teachers
- Pupils achieve well in examinations with improving results year on year
- Strong systems for behaviour management with reducing pupil suspensions
- Comprehensive personal development programme helping pupils understand British values and career guidance
- Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs, identified quickly and fully integrated into school life
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers do not consistently check pupils' understanding, meaning some misconceptions and knowledge gaps go unaddressed
- Some pupils uncertain about how bullying and derogatory language issues are resolved, reducing confidence in school approaches
- School needs to strengthen relationships with parents and carers, as some remain dissatisfied with aspects of provision
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Debating society, role playing games, culture club, drama productions at local theatres, Honours badges programme
Outwood Academy Freeston is a secondary school with high ambitions where pupils achieve well in examinations and take pride in their work. The school has improved from its previous 'Requires Improvement' rating and now demonstrates good quality education, behaviour, personal development, and leadership.
About
Outwood Academy Freeston, formerly The Freeston Academy, is a state run, coeducational high school situated in Normanton, West Yorkshire near the city of Wakefield. It is a Business and Enterprise specialist school.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
31.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
134 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.18 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 39.7 to 44.6 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 40% to 51% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 44.6 | 50.7% |
| Disadvantaged(60) | - | 36.5 | 26.7% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(149) | - | 47.9 | 60.4% |
| Boys(103) | - | 41.4 | 47.6% |
| Girls(106) | - | 47.7 | 53.8% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(12) | - | 51.5 | 66.7% |
| Non mobile(198) | - | 45.2 | 52% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 190 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.20%
Exclusion rate
492
Suspensions
49.80%
Suspension rate
88 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 988 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Outwood Academy Freeston
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Outwood Academy Freeston from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Outwood Academy Freeston 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
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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
Your chances of a place at Outwood Academy Freeston
Will you get a place at Outwood Academy Freeston? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Outwood Academy Freeston's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Outwood Academy Freeston:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Outwood Academy Freeston.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wakefield, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Outwood Academy Freeston for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Wakefield got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
86%
Available places
982 pupils
1,137 places
155 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Normanton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Normanton
Across Wakefield council
Places available
4,300
Applications
3,912
Got 1st preference
90.7%
Got preferred school
97.3%
All secondary applications across Wakefield council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
139
SEN Support
36
EHC Plans
17.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
993
Total Pupils
519
Boys
474
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
57
Teachers
17.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,809
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,120
Per pupil
£7584k
Total funding
£306k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.7%
Overall absence
31.3%
Persistent absence
1,038
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Outwood Academy Freeston
What are GCSE results like at Outwood Academy Freeston?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Outwood Academy Freeston achieved an Attainment 8 score of 44.6. 51% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Outwood Academy Freeston's Ofsted rating?
Outwood Academy Freeston's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Outwood Academy Freeston?
No fixed boundary. When Outwood Academy Freeston is oversubscribed, Wakefield allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Outwood Academy Freeston?
Outwood Academy Freeston was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 1137 places.
How big are the classes at Outwood Academy Freeston?
Classes at Outwood Academy Freeston average 25.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Outwood Academy Freeston?
Outwood Academy Freeston has around 993 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Outwood Academy Freeston?
10.7% of sessions were missed at Outwood Academy Freeston in 2024/25. 31.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Outwood Academy Freeston?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming Outwood Academy Freeston on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Outwood Academy Freeston?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Outwood Academy Freeston?
Outwood Academy Freeston is at Favell Avenue, Normanton, WF6 1HZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)