Trinity Academy Cathedral, Wakefield

Ofsted's report card from its 2 June 2026 inspection grades Trinity Academy Cathedral on 6 areas: 6 strong standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils achieve well across the curriculum in lessons and in national examinations."

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders have a focus on pupils' sense of belonging."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders have created a precisely planned curriculum."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders place inclusion at the heart of their work."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders and those responsible for governance share a clear vision for the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "There is a thoughtful personal development programme which ensures pupils develop a secure understanding of the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to rigorously identify and tackle barriers to attendance to further improve attendance for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities"; "Leaders and those responsible for governance should continue to strengthen the implementation of the school's curriculum, to establish and sustain exceptional standards of teaching which have a transformational impact on the achievement of all pupils, particularly those with high prior attainment".

In its own words: "Trinity Academy Cathedral is an exciting and inspirational place to be. We believe that there are many factors that contribute to this unique environment - from our distinct Christian ethos, to our innovative curriculum and approach to rewarding students. We are here to make a difference to the community."

In 2026, pupils at Trinity Academy Cathedral averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Wakefield and 47 across England.

53% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 48% in Wakefield and 47% in England.

That is up from 48.7 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.34: pupils made above 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 43.5, against 56.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, French and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 311 families put Trinity Academy Cathedral as their first choice and 596 named it as one of their preferences, for 196 places offered. That is 1.6 first choices for every place. 128 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Trinity Academy Cathedral are Horbury Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51); St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.1); Kettlethorpe High School (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.8); and Outwood Academy City Fields (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.5).

Trinity Academy Cathedral's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Trinity Academy Cathedral is one of 11 schools run by Trinity Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.8 in 2024/25.

Of the 197 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 65% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

42.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 25.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (61%), Asian (11%) and Black (7%).

The nearest railway station is Wakefield Westgate Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Thornes Road Gill Sike Rd (opposite), 200 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Trinity Academy Cathedral stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 264 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Wakefield (130), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Trinity Academy Cathedral issued 409 suspensions, 39.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 7 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Trinity Academy Cathedral are The Mount Junior Infant & Nursery School (0.2 miles); Wakefield Lawefield Primary School (0.7 miles); Methodist Voluntary Controlled Junior, Infant and Nursery School: With Communication Resource (0.7 miles); and English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.