The Featherstone AcademyArk Carleton High School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Pontefract.
Summary of the comparison
The Featherstone Academy and Ark Carleton High School are secondary schools in Pontefract.
The Featherstone Academy scores 53 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Ark Carleton High School scores 61 out of 100 (grade C, average). Ark Carleton High School is ahead on our composite score.
The Featherstone Academy was judged Good and Ark Carleton High School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 39.7 for The Featherstone Academy and 44.3 for Ark Carleton High School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at The Featherstone Academy (39.3 in 2021-22, 39.7 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Ark Carleton High School (50.5 in 2021-22, 44.3 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | PontefractThe Featherstone Academy | PontefractArk Carleton High School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D53/100 | C61/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 15th of 18 in Wakefield | 8th of 18 in Wakefield Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 556 | 1,026 | |
| Capacity | 600 | 1,050 | |
| Location | Pontefract, WF7 5AJ | Pontefract, WF8 3NW | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 39.7 | 44.3 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 39.4% | 45.2% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 56.4% | 64.3% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 94 | 199 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 524 | 1,021 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 41.0% | 30.1% | |
| English as an additional language | 3.6% | 2.5% | |
| SEN support | 21.4% | 13.5% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 7.6% | 2.9% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 9.6% | 7.2% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 24.0% | 18.1% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
The Featherstone Academy
Ark Carleton High School
Full profiles: The Featherstone Academy · Ark Carleton High School