Park Lane Academy, Halifax
Park Lane Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Halifax, part of South Pennine Academies. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2026 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 6th-highest of the 6 schools in Halifax with published results, and 3,206th of 3,298 across England. It was 75% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Calderdale (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Park Lane Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Park Lane Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 32.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 49 in Calderdale and 47 across England.
18% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 51% in Calderdale and 47% in England.
That is down from 40.9 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.1: 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 29.6, against 35.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.6 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 17 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and History.
Getting a place at Park Lane Academy
For September 2026 entry, 78 families put Park Lane Academy as their first choice and 181 named it as one of their preferences, for 96 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Park Lane Academy are The Brooksbank School (1.2 miles, Attainment 8 51.5); The Crossley Heath School (1.5 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 73.2); Rastrick High School (2.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.9); and Brighouse High School (2.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.4).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Park Lane Academy.
The Brooksbank SchoolThe Crossley Heath SchoolRastrick High SchoolBrighouse High School
The trust
Park Lane Academy is one of 10 schools run by South Pennine Academies, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.5 in 2024/25.
What parents say
55 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Park Lane Academy (as of September 2025): 73% would recommend the school, 76% say their child is happy there and 64% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (86%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (64%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 62 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 74% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 55% to a further education college and 5% into work.
Who goes there
57.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 98 pupils (20.4%) received SEN support and 49 (10.2%) 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 autism.
Staffing
Park Lane Academy had 36 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Halifax Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Park Lane, 90 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Park Lane Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Park Lane Academy issued 251 suspensions, 53.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 5 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Park Lane Academy are Siddal Primary School (0.4 miles), All Saints' CofE Primary School (0.5 miles), Salterhebble Junior and Infant School (0.6 miles) and West Vale Academy (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Siddal Primary SchoolAll Saints' CofE Primary SchoolSalterhebble Junior and Infant SchoolWest Vale Academy
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 · 6 months agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Park Lane Academy is committed to supporting all pupils, including those with additional needs and disadvantaged students. The school has strengthened its leadership team and is showing real improvement in GCSE results. Staff and families are positive about the school's direction, and leaders are working hard to make it a place where every pupil can succeed.
Key Strengths
- Strengthened leadership with new appointments and trust support enabling faster improvements
- GCSE results improved in 2025, with some measures now close to national averages
- Committed to meeting needs of disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
- Ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum plans with broad subject offer
- Positive relationships with staff, pupils and families who recognize the school as improving
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching quality remains variable and does not consistently support pupils to overcome barriers like SEND
- Pupils have persistent gaps in knowledge, particularly in reading and mathematics, that are not closing quickly enough
- Staff do not consistently use strategies to support pupils with SEND in lessons
- Assessment processes need further development to identify and close learning gaps before new content is taught
- Newly introduced alternative pathways are in early stages and their impact on closing basic skills gaps is not yet clear
Safeguarding
Safeguarding was evaluated as effective at the previous graded inspection.
Park Lane Academy is an improving school that has strengthened its leadership and achieved better GCSE results in 2025, though work remains to address inconsistencies in teaching quality and support for students with additional needs.
At a Glance
57.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
55 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 -1.10 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 30.1 to 32.3 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 18% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 32.3 | 18.2% |
| Disadvantaged(34) | - | 29.6 | 8.8% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(32) | - | 35.2 | 28.1% |
| Boys(37) | - | 29.1 | 13.5% |
| Girls(29) | - | 36.4 | 24.1% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(11) | - | 36.7 | 36.4% |
| Non mobile(58) | - | 33.4 | 19% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 62 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
5
Permanent exclusions
1.06%
Exclusion rate
251
Suspensions
53.18%
Suspension rate
90 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 472 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Park Lane Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Park Lane Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Park Lane Academy is in Calderdale; for families living there:
Apply to Calderdale for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 11 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 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 Calderdale is 12 (the median across 114 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 Park Lane Academy
Will you get a place at Park Lane Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Park Lane Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Park Lane Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Park Lane Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Calderdale, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Park Lane Academy for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Calderdale 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
75%
Available places
471 pupils
629 places
158 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Halifax
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Halifax
Across Calderdale council
Places available
2,994
Applications
2,231
Got 1st preference
91.2%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All secondary applications across Calderdale council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
98
SEN Support
49
EHC Plans
30.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
481
Total Pupils
233
Boys
248
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
36
Teachers
13.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,933
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,777
Per pupil
£4671k
Total funding
£291k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.6%
Overall absence
28.5%
Persistent absence
523
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
Park Lane Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Park Lane Academy
What are GCSE results like at Park Lane Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Park Lane Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 32.3. 18% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Park Lane Academy's Ofsted rating?
Park Lane Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2026, 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 Park Lane Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Park Lane Academy is oversubscribed, Calderdale allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Park Lane Academy?
Park Lane Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 75% of its 629 places.
How big are the classes at Park Lane Academy?
Classes at Park Lane Academy average 21 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Park Lane Academy?
Park Lane Academy has around 481 pupils on roll. 57% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Park Lane Academy?
8.6% of sessions were missed at Park Lane Academy in 2024/25. 28.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Park Lane Academy?
Apply through Calderdale's coordinated admissions process, naming Park Lane Academy 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 Park Lane Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 11 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 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 Calderdale is 12 (the median across 114 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Park Lane Academy?
Park Lane Academy is at Park Lane, Exley, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX3 9LG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)