Outwood Grange Academy

Outwood Grange Academy is performing well, having been judged as 'Good' overall in its recent inspection. The school has notable strengths in personal development, acclaimed for its exceptional enrichment and leadership programs. With a large and diverse student body, the institution maintains positive relationships between pupils and staff, contributing to a supportive educational environment. The leadership team, under Principal Andrew Downing, has effectively guided the school through a transitional period and continues to adapt its approaches for ongoing improvement.

Strengths

• Strong academic curriculum across all key stages.
• High-quality personal development and enrichment activities.
• Supportive environment for pupils with SEND.
• Effective training programs for staff.
• Positive relationships between pupils and staff.

Areas for Improvement

• A small portion of pupils struggle to adapt to the school's expectations and ethos.
• Some parents are dissatisfied with the school's communication regarding concerns.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Outwood Grange Academy attended 91.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 8.0% of pupils at Outwood Grange Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Outwood Grange Academy had 18.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 6.1% of pupils at Outwood Grange Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Outwood Grange Academy received £7,823 and spent £6,896 for each of its 1,936 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,733,000 (£1,412 per pupil).

Across all 40 schools of Outwood Grange Academies Trust, income was £8,313 and spending £8,200 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Wakefield · Wakefield local authority: places and applications

Outwood Grange Academy is part of Outwood Grange Academies Trust, which runs 40 schools. The nearest others:

• Outwood Primary Academy Ledger Lane Wakefield
• Outwood Primary Academy Lofthouse Gate Wakefield
• Outwood Primary Academy Kirkhamgate Wakefield
• Outwood Primary Academy Greenhill Wakefield
• Outwood Primary Academy Park Hill Wakefield
• Outwood Academy City Fields Wakefield
• Outwood Academy Freeston Normanton
• Outwood Primary Academy Newstead Green Wakefield
• Outwood Primary Academy Bell Lane Pontefract
• Outwood Academy Carlton Barnsley

What is Outwood Grange Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Outwood Grange Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Outwood Grange Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Outwood Grange Academy was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Outwood Grange Academy have?

Outwood Grange Academy has 1,900 pupils on roll.

What age range does Outwood Grange Academy cover?

Outwood Grange Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Outwood Grange Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 49.2, and 57% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Outwood Grange Academy?

Outwood Grange Academy is at Potovens Lane, Outwood, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 2PF.