Outwood Academy Hemsworth, Pontefract
Outwood Academy Hemsworth is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Pontefract, 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 March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 6th-highest of the 6 schools in Pontefract with published results, and 2,932nd of 3,298 across England. It was 67% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- 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 Hemsworth in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Outwood Academy Hemsworth averaged an Attainment 8 score of 37.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Wakefield and 47 across England.
33% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 48% in Wakefield and 47% in England.
That is down from 41 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.07: pupils made about 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 32.1, against 41.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.3 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.
Getting a place at Outwood Academy Hemsworth
For September 2026 entry, 186 families put Outwood Academy Hemsworth as their first choice and 283 named it as one of their preferences, for 207 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 Hemsworth
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Outwood Academy Hemsworth are Minsthorpe Community College (2.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.7); Outwood Academy Shafton (3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.3); The Featherstone Academy (4.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.7); and Crofton Academy (4.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.3).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Outwood Academy Hemsworth.
Minsthorpe Community CollegeOutwood Academy ShaftonThe Featherstone AcademyCrofton Academy
The trust
Outwood Academy Hemsworth 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
138 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Outwood Academy Hemsworth (as of September 2025): 66% would recommend the school, 75% say their child is happy there and 48% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (82%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (48%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 173 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 72% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 38% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.
Of the 31 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 42% went on to university or other higher education, 10% to apprenticeships and 13% into work. 3% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
42.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Fitzwilliam Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Conisborough Way, 170 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Outwood Academy Hemsworth issued 766 suspensions, 69.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 5 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Outwood Academy Hemsworth are West End Academy (0.4 miles), Grove Lea Primary School (0.4 miles), Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles) and St Helen's CE Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
West End AcademyGrove Lea Primary SchoolSacred Heart Catholic Primary SchoolSt Helen's CE 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a genuinely caring environment where all pupils are valued and supported to achieve, regardless of their background. Teachers carefully plan learning so pupils build skills progressively, and the school offers a rich range of experiences from sports clubs to international trips. Your child will be part of a community where respect, kindness and high ambitions for success are genuinely celebrated.
Key Strengths
- Strong curriculum sequencing that helps pupils progress from core concepts to complex problem-solving, particularly in mathematics
- Excellent reading support programme with dedicated reading time and staff training ensuring pupils make rapid progress
- Impressive personal development offer including assemblies, curriculum time, trips and industry engagement that helps pupils become positive contributors to society
- Sixth form students are outstanding ambassadors who support younger pupils and engage in thoughtful debate
- Effective behaviour management with clear rules, high expectations, and successful work reducing suspensions and improving attendance
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers sometimes miss opportunities to check pupils' understanding before moving to the next topic, leaving some pupils without secure knowledge
- Communication with families, particularly those with children who have special educational needs, needs to improve so parents better understand the school's support strategies
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, museums visits, theatre visits, residential trips to Malta and Italy, assemblies, industry engagement activities
Outwood Academy Hemsworth is a secondary school where pupils and staff embrace learning and create a stimulating environment that values education. The school has improved from its previous 'Requires improvement' grade and now demonstrates good quality across all key areas.
About
Outwood Academy Hemsworth, known previously as Hemsworth Arts and Community Academy and Hemsworth Arts and Community College, is a co-educational secondary school and sixth form located in Hemsworth in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
42.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
138 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 improved from -0.24 to -0.07 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 39.7 to 37.5 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 33% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 37.5 | 32.5% |
| Disadvantaged(85) | - | 32.1 | 27.1% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(118) | - | 41.4 | 36.4% |
| Boys(106) | - | 35.9 | 31.1% |
| Girls(97) | - | 39.3 | 34% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(12) | - | 48.2 | 50% |
| Non mobile(191) | - | 38.2 | 33% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 2 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 173 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
5
Permanent exclusions
0.45%
Exclusion rate
766
Suspensions
69.13%
Suspension rate
138 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,108 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Outwood Academy Hemsworth
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Outwood Academy Hemsworth from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Outwood Academy Hemsworth 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
- 11
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 4 serious and 5 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
0 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 Hemsworth
Will you get a place at Outwood Academy Hemsworth? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Outwood Academy Hemsworth's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Outwood Academy Hemsworth:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Outwood Academy Hemsworth.
- 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 Hemsworth 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
67%
Available places
1,094 pupils
1,632 places
538 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Pontefract
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Pontefract
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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
120
SEN Support
35
EHC Plans
14.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,101
Total Pupils
560
Boys
541
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
67
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,684
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,552
Per pupil
£8665k
Total funding
£459k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.6%
Overall absence
34.1%
Persistent absence
1,119
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 Hemsworth
What are GCSE results like at Outwood Academy Hemsworth?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Outwood Academy Hemsworth achieved an Attainment 8 score of 37.5. 33% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Outwood Academy Hemsworth's Ofsted rating?
Outwood Academy Hemsworth's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 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 Hemsworth?
No fixed boundary. When Outwood Academy Hemsworth 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 Hemsworth?
Outwood Academy Hemsworth was not full in 2025: it ran at 67% of its 1632 places.
How big are the classes at Outwood Academy Hemsworth?
Classes at Outwood Academy Hemsworth average 21 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Outwood Academy Hemsworth?
Outwood Academy Hemsworth has around 1101 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Outwood Academy Hemsworth?
11.6% of sessions were missed at Outwood Academy Hemsworth in 2024/25. 34.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Outwood Academy Hemsworth?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming Outwood Academy Hemsworth 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 Hemsworth?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 4 serious and 5 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 0 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 Hemsworth?
Outwood Academy Hemsworth is at Wakefield Road, Pontefract, WF9 4AB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)