Park Lane Academy, Halifax

Requires Improvement
Secondary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Ages 1116

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.5km)Possible (~2.2km)Unlikely (~2.9km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Stuart Hillary
Pupils:481 / 600 capacity
LA:Calderdale
Phone:01422362215
Address:Park Lane, Exley, Halifax, HX3 9LG
Trust:SOUTH PENNINE ACADEMIES
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 October 2018

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 5 months ago
-

Overall

Inadequate

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Requires Improvement

Leadership & Management

Inspected 14 April 2026View full report
URN:143115
UKPRN:10057583
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Halifax
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

The school has successfully created a calm, positive environment where pupils behave well and feel valued. Behaviour standards and attendance have improved significantly since the last inspection. The school also provides excellent support for pupils' wider development, including careers guidance from Year 7, enriching trips, active pupil leadership roles, and a comprehensive personal development programme.

Key Strengths

  • Behaviour and attendance have improved significantly - pupils are calm, respectful and feel safe
  • Strong personal development programme including careers guidance, trips, clubs and pupil leadership roles
  • Broad curriculum offer with some subjects taught effectively by knowledgeable staff

Areas for Improvement

  • GCSE pass rates in English and mathematics remain about half the national average
  • Teaching quality is inconsistent across subjects, affecting how well pupils learn
  • Assessment approaches are not consistently used to identify and close gaps in pupils' learning
  • Support for pupils with SEND is not yet fully embedded across all staff

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear procedures and trusted adults available to provide guidance and support.

Extracurricular Activities

Visits to the coast, clubs, apprenticeship days, alumni days, mock interviews, pupil 'Prime Minister' leadership role

Park Lane Academy is a secondary school where behaviour and personal development are good, but the quality of education is inadequate with too few pupils achieving expected GCSE qualifications in key subjects like English and mathematics.

At a Glance

57.4%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

55 responses
Would recommend73%
Child is happy76%
Well taught76%
Good progress76%
Feels safe86%
Well behaved76%
Bullying dealt with29%
Kept informed73%
Handles concerns53%
Wider development67%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

22.1

Avg class size

20

Total classes

3 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Park Lane
87m · 1 min walk
Backhold Dr Backhold Road
202m · 3 min walk
Park Lane Backhold Ln
205m · 3 min walk
Backhold Ln Park Lane (opp)
288m · 5 min walk
Backhold Drive (S bound)
334m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

80%

Available places

481 pupils

600 capacity

119 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Halifax

Low pressure
New homes approved:982
Projected new pupils:177

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Halifax

Admissions Demand - Calderdale

Low demand0.75x oversubscription

Places available

3,064

Applications

2,299

Got 1st preference

90.2%

Got preferred school

98.0%

Secondary admissions across Calderdale (2025/26)

Inspection History(4)

14 April 2026
Quality of EducationInadequate
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement
7 May 2025
4 October 2022
Requires ImprovementReport
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesRequires Improvement
Personal DevelopmentRequires Improvement
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

8.61526%

Overall absence

28.48948%

Persistent absence

523

Enrolments

Authorised4.31174%
Unauthorised4.30352%
Persistent (10%+)28.48948%
Severe (50%+)3.82409%

Absence trend

11.6844%
18/19
9.06675%
20/21
16.15611%
21/22
14.84111%
22/23
8.98712%
23/24
8.61526%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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