Airedale Infant Academy
Poplar Avenue, Airedale, Castleford, WF10 3QJ
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3 to 7
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- CASTLEFORD ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Kirsten Mckechnie
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Castleford Academy
- Constituency
- Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 180
- Pupils on roll
- 206
- URN
- 141522
- Local authority
- Wakefield
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01977519281
About this school
Airedale Infant Academy is a primary academy in Castleford. It teaches children aged 3 to 7 and has 206 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
A short monitoring inspection followed on : inspectors found that standards have been maintained.
Trends over time
How Airedale Infant Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 7% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 7.3% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7.2% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 245 |
| 2023/24 | 227 |
| 2024/25 | 217 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Airedale Infant Academy compares
Its absence rate was lower than 24% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 7.2% | 27.8% | 206 | — |
| Townville Academy | — | 7.6% | 39% | 111 | 0.0 miles |
| Airedale Junior Academy | 62% | 6.5% | 41% | 385 | 0.0 miles |
| Fairburn View Primary School, Castleford | 30% | 8.8% | 55.5% | 471 | 0.4 miles |
| Oyster Park Primary Academy | 43% | 7.7% | 53.6% | 349 | 0.6 miles |
| Glasshoughton Infant Academy | — | 3.9% | 8.4% | 222 | 0.9 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
-
Ungraded inspection report4 June 2025
- 5 November 2019
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 27.75%
- English as an additional language
- 6.5%
- Overall absence
- 7.17%
- Persistent absence
- 23.14%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Townville Academy0.0 miles
Primary · Castleford
-
Airedale Junior Academy0.0 miles
Primary · Castleford
-
Fairburn View Primary School, Castleford0.4 miles
Primary · Castleford
-
Oyster Park Primary Academy0.6 miles
Primary · Castleford
-
Glasshoughton Infant Academy0.9 miles
Primary · Castleford
Other schools in Castleford
- Ackton Pastures Primary Academy Primary
- Airedale Junior Academy Primary
- Allerton Bywater Primary School Primary
- Castleford Park Junior Academy Primary
- Castleford Three Lane Ends Academy Primary
- Castleford Wheldon Infant School and Nursery Primary
- Fairburn View Primary School, Castleford Primary
- Glasshoughton Infant Academy Primary
- Half Acres Primary Academy Primary
- Lady Elizabeth Hastings CofE Primary School Primary
- Oyster Park Primary Academy Primary
- Smawthorne Henry Moore Academy Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Airedale Infant Academy teach?
- Airedale Infant Academy teaches children aged 3 to 7. It is a primary school in Castleford.
- Who is the headteacher of Airedale Infant Academy?
- The headteacher of Airedale Infant Academy is Mrs Kirsten Mckechnie, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Airedale Infant Academy last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Airedale Infant Academy, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Airedale Infant Academy?
- Airedale Infant Academy has 206 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 7.
- Is Airedale Infant Academy full?
- Airedale Infant Academy has capacity for 180 pupils and 206 on roll (114%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Airedale Infant Academy a faith school?
- No. Airedale Infant Academy has no designated religious character.
- Does Airedale Infant Academy have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Airedale Infant Academy as having nursery classes.
- Who runs Airedale Infant Academy?
- Airedale Infant Academy is part of CASTLEFORD ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Airedale Infant Academy's absence rate?
- Airedale Infant Academy's overall absence rate is 7.2% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Airedale Infant Academy publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Airedale Infant Academy. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 1 July 2026.