Airedale Infant Academy

Airedale Infant School is performing well, rated as 'Good' across all inspection domains. The school is described as a welcoming environment where pupils feel safe and enjoy their learning experiences. Since the last inspection, leadership under the new headteacher has led to improvements in English and mathematics and ensured a broad curriculum that captivates students. However, while the quality of education is commendable, there are areas needing improvement, particularly in curriculum delivery and early years mathematics proficiency.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and enjoy their school environment.
• Strong leadership has raised expectations and improved educational outcomes.
• The curriculum is broad and well planned, engaging pupils in their learning.
• Pupils with SEND achieve well with appropriate support.
• High priority given to reading, with a wealth of resources available.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance remains below the national average.
• Teachers occasionally do not follow the curriculum plans closely.
• There are historical gaps in pupils' knowledge outside of English and mathematics.
• Some children in early years lack secure knowledge of early number skills.

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 Airedale Infant Academy attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 23.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 0.9% of pupils at Airedale Infant Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 Airedale Infant Academy had 24.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 7.3% of pupils at Airedale Infant Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2023–24 Airedale Infant Academy received £6,201 and spent £6,395 for each of its 201 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £423,000 (£2,104 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Castleford Academy Trust, income was £7,360 and spending £7,521 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 Castleford · Wakefield local authority: places and applications

Airedale Infant Academy is part of Castleford Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Airedale Junior Academy Castleford
• Airedale Academy Castleford
• Oyster Park Primary Academy Castleford
• Glasshoughton Infant Academy Castleford
• Castleford Academy Castleford
• Castleford Park Junior Academy Castleford
• Castleford Three Lane Ends Academy Castleford
• Crofton Academy Wakefield

What is Airedale Infant Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Airedale Infant Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Airedale Infant Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Airedale Infant Academy was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Airedale Infant Academy have?

Airedale Infant Academy has 206 pupils on roll.

What age range does Airedale Infant Academy cover?

Airedale Infant Academy for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Airedale Infant Academy?

Airedale Infant Academy is at Poplar Avenue, Airedale, Airedale Junior School, Castleford, WF10 3QJ.