School Chooser

Ackworth School

Independent · ages 2-19MixedIndependentQuaker429 pupilsSixth formNurseryWakefield
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Strong pass in English and maths0%England 46%
Places160 spare429 pupils, 589 places
Average A level gradeC-2024/25
Pupils on roll429Census January 2024

Ackworth School is an independent school in West Yorkshire for boys and girls aged 2 to 19. It has 429 pupils and room for 589.

Pontefract Road, Ackworth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF7 7LT01977 233600ackworthschool.comMr Martyn Beer headAll details

Inspection

This private school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, not Ofsted. Its reports are at isi.net.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

56 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score33.9
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths0%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths0%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 27.227.220182019: 36.636.620192022: 41.241.220222023: 39.139.120232024: 41.341.320242025: 33.933.92025
Since 2018: +6.7
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018WakefieldEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11566355516364
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 833.941.339.141.236.627.245.346.8
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%45%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%66%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score2.653.403.153.543.162.363.994.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry0%0%0%0%0%0%35%41%

Subjects

Results came out for 15 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Geography64%grades 9 to 5, England 51%
Biology94%grades 9 to 5, England 82%
English Literature70%grades 9 to 5, England 58%
What is taught hereOffers triple science, computer science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
58%England 54%
70%England 58%
38%England 36%
50%England 56%
Geography25 entries
64%England 51%
Physics18 entries
83%England 82%
Chemistry18 entries
83%England 81%
Biology18 entries
94%England 82%
83%England 50%
67%England 52%
36%England 56%
Art and Design11 entries
100%England 58%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
English Language5223%58%73%54%
English Literature4030%70%90%58%
Combined Science323%38%72%36%
Physical Education2612%50%77%56%
Geography2536%64%80%51%
Physics1833%83%100%82%
Chemistry1833%83%100%81%
Biology1833%94%100%82%
Design & Technology1217%83%92%50%
Food Preparation & Nutrition1242%67%75%52%
Computer Science119%36%55%56%
Art and Design1155%100%100%58%
History956%89%100%52%
Religious Studies944%78%78%60%
Music70%43%86%61%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

42 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeC-28.2 points per entry
A level progress-0.19Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better12%with two subjects universities favour
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students425836369697
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry28.2125.1128.6335.0632.2633.90
Average A level gradeC-C-CB-C+C+
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS28.0425.5628.7435.5631.8333.09
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects12%10%7%26%10%20%
A level progressA level value added-0.19-0.29+0.54-0.04

A level subjects

11 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsPsychology13Mathematics13Economics13Business Studies12Biology7Physics7Physical Education / Sports Studies6History6English Literature6Government and Politics5Chemistry5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Psychology13 entries · 15% A* or A · 77% passed
23%England 46%
Mathematics13 entries · 31% A* or A · 92% passed
39%England 60%
Economics13 entries · 0% A* or A · 85% passed
8%England 57%
Business Studies12 entries · 0% A* or A · 67% passed
8%England 47%
Biology7 entries · 29% A* or A · 86% passed
57%England 49%
Physics7 entries · 14% A* or A · 86% passed
43%England 51%
Physical Education / Sports Studies6 entries · 0% A* or A · 50% passed
17%England 41%
History6 entries · 33% A* or A · 83% passed
50%England 55%
English Literature6 entries · 50% A* or A · 100% passed
100%England 52%
Government and Politics5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 55%
Chemistry5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 53%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
31.337.2
Gap 5.9England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Quaker school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Wakefield council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll429Census January 2024
Places58973% full
Pupils from low-income familiesGet free school meals
Pupils getting extra support15%62 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan11%46 pupils with a plan
Boys and girls229 / 200
How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll429428473494510504
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals0%0%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support26%26%15%12%17%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans6%5%4%4%3%

What pupils do next

After sixth form

Where the 32 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training44%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training44%50%53%
Education31%36%47%
Apprenticeship3%0%0%
Work9%14%6%
Not in education, work or training9%3%2%

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m4612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate56 per 1,000 people39% lower than the England average
Typical house price£200,000Wakefield
Nearest bus stop140 mPontefract Road Ackworth School, 7 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Ackworth Mill Dam SchoolAcademy650 m225Report card 202660Compare
Outwood Primary Academy Bell LaneAcademy820 m320Good 202286Compare
Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant SchoolChurch of England860 m229Good 202488Compare
Oakfield Park SchoolCouncil0.8 miles176Outstanding 2019Compare
Fitzwilliam Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles224No overall grade 202510Compare
The Featherstone AcademyAcademy1.9 miles556Good 202235Compare
Featherstone Purston Infant SchoolCouncil1.9 miles203Good 202316Compare
Featherstone Girnhill Infant SchoolAcademy2.0 miles103Good 202416Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Ackworth School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Ackworth School yet.

How good are Ackworth School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 0% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 33.9, against 46.8 for England.

How many pupils does Ackworth School have?

429 pupils aged 2 to 19 were on the roll in January 2024. It has 589 places, so it is 73% full.

Does Ackworth School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C-. 11 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Pontefract Road, Ackworth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF7 7LT
Telephone
01977 233600
Website
www.ackworthschool.com
Head
Mr Martyn Beer
Type of school
Independent school (Other independent school, independent schools)
Phase
Independent school, ages 2-19, with nursery, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Quaker
Local authority
Wakefield
Ward
Ackworth, North Elmsall and Upton
Constituency
Normanton and Hemsworth
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
18 October 1809
URN
108300 · LAESTAB 3846000 · UKPRN 10008060

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from