Rodillian Academy

Rodillian Academy is performing well, maintaining the standards established in its previous inspection. The school, led by interim principal Joe Birkbeck, emphasizes a strong sense of community, fostering positive relationships among pupils and staff. The curriculum is ambitious and well-sequenced, effectively preparing students for their future studies. The school's commitment to inclusivity is evident, as it tailors support for pupils with special educational needs and ensures all pupils receive the necessary help to succeed academically.

Strengths

• Pupils form positive, trusting relationships with peers and staff.
• High expectations are held for what pupils can achieve.
• Ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum enhances knowledge retention.
• Effective support for SEND pupils allows them to achieve well.
• Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge and offer ongoing professional development.
• Positive behavior and a calm learning environment result from high expectations.
• Broad personal development programs support pupils' understanding of key issues.

Areas for Improvement

• High levels of persistent absence for disadvantaged pupils.

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 Rodillian Academy attended 92.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 18.4% 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, 10.8% of pupils at Rodillian Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 Rodillian Academy had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.2% 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, 16.3% of pupils at Rodillian Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.1% 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 Rodillian Academy received £7,689 and spent £7,703 for each of its 1,658 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £3,800,000 (£2,292 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Resilience Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,591 and spending £7,510 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 · Leeds local authority: places and applications

Rodillian Academy is part of Resilience Multi Academy Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• University Technical College Leeds Leeds
• Churwell Primary Academy Leeds
• The Featherstone Academy Pontefract
• BBG Academy Birkenshaw
• Brayton Academy Selby

What is Rodillian Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rodillian Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Rodillian Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Rodillian Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Rodillian Academy have?

Rodillian Academy has 1,615 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rodillian Academy cover?

Rodillian Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Rodillian Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.9, and 51% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Rodillian Academy?

Rodillian Academy is at Longthorpe Lane, Lofthouse, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF3 3PS.