Padgate Academy, Warrington

In 2026, pupils at Padgate Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.7 in Warrington and 47 across England.

26% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 48% in Warrington and 47% in England.

That is up from 39.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.66: pupils made well 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 38.5, against 43.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 121 families put Padgate Academy as their first choice and 307 named it as one of their preferences, for 160 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Padgate Academy are King's Leadership Academy Warrington (1 mile, Outstanding, Attainment 8 55.4); Beamont Collegiate Academy (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.9); Birchwood Community High School (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.7); and Cardinal Newman Catholic High School (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.1).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Padgate Academy.

Padgate Academy is one of 14 schools run by The Challenge Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.3 in 2024/25.

Of the 127 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 80% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 58% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

51% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 133 pupils (20.1%) received SEN support and 51 (7.7%) 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.

Padgate Academy has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties: 15 places, 15 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Padgate Rail Station, about 580 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Valiant Close (cnr), 100 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Padgate Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Padgate Academy issued 103 suspensions, 16 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Padgate Academy are Christ Church CofE Primary School Padgate (0.3 miles), St Bridget's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles), Brook Acre Community Primary School (0.4 miles) and Cinnamon Brow Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.