Academy sponsor led · Warrington

Padgate Academy

11–16Ages
661Pupils
SecondaryPhase
146765URN

Insall Road, Warrington, WA2 0LN · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · May 2023 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.9per place

close to Warrington median (1.9)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in Warrington

307 applications for 160 places · 8th of 12 in Warrington

Every year since 2014

Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)

41.6of 90

Warrington 46.3 England 46.0

12th of 13 in Warrington

All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 23 May 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

1.9applications per place, Year 7

close to Warrington median (1.9) 0.3 below England median (2.2)

307 applications · 160 places offered · 121 named it first

2026 1.9; Warrington median median 1.9
2025 1.9; Warrington median median 2.1
2024 1.7; Warrington median median 2.0
2023 1.6; Warrington median median 1.9
2022 1.6; Warrington median median 2.0
2021 1.5; Warrington median median 2.0
2020 1.3; Warrington median median 2.0
2019 1.4; Warrington median median 2.1
2018 1.4; Warrington median median 2.1; as the previous school
2017 1.4; Warrington median median 2.1; as the previous school
2016 2.2; Warrington median median 2.3; as the previous school
2015 2.2; Warrington median median 2.3; as the previous school
2014 2.5; Warrington median median 2.3; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Warrington median in 0 of 8 years.

This school
Warrington median

Dashed bars: as University Academy Warrington (URN 139072), Lysander Community High School (URN 111438), the previous school.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	160	307	1.9	121	0.76
Sep 2025	141	266	1.9	105	0.74
Sep 2024	140	239	1.7	85	0.61
Sep 2023	139	228	1.6	67	0.48
Sep 2022	118	190	1.6	58	0.49
Sep 2021	109	167	1.5	51	0.47
Sep 2020	145	189	1.3	72	0.50
Sep 2019	147	207	1.4	67	0.46
Sep 2018 *	123	175	1.4	67	0.54
Sep 2017 *	122	171	1.4	58	0.48
Sep 2016 *	75	166	2.2	49	0.65
Sep 2015 *	105	233	2.2	78	0.74
Sep 2014 *	89	221	2.5	86	0.97

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

128 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)41.612th of 13 in Warrington

Warrington 46.3 England 46.0

Grade 5 or above in English and maths26%12th of 13 in Warrington

Warrington 47% England 45%

Grade 4 or above in English and maths50%

Warrington 65% England 66%

This school
Warrington median
England median

Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.66

−20 = national average+2

Every year as a table

Year	Pupils	Attainment 8	5+ Eng & maths	4+ Eng & maths	Progress 8
2025/26 (prov.)	128	41.6	26%	50%	–
2024/25	112	39.4	30%	57%	–
2023/24	127	34.7	23%	39%	−0.66
2022/23	83	37.8	30%	53%	−0.23

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Padgate AcademyThis school
This school

Good2023

1.9applications per place 41.6Attainment 8
King's Leadership Academy Warrington
1.7 km · Warrington

Standards maintained2025

2.6applications per place 55.4Attainment 8
Beamont Collegiate Academy
1.8 km · Warrington

Remains Good2022

1.8applications per place 45.9Attainment 8
Birchwood Community High School
2.2 km · Warrington

Graded · no overall grade2024

2.0applications per place 45.7Attainment 8
Cardinal Newman Catholic High School
2.4 km · Warrington

Good2022

1.9applications per place 45.1Attainment 8
Aldridge UTC Warrington
2.8 km · Warrington

Graded · no overall grade2024

30.3Attainment 8
Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School
3.5 km · Warrington

2026

2.8applications per place 46.3Attainment 8
St Gregory's Catholic High School
4.6 km · Warrington

Remains Good2024

2.7applications per place 53.8Attainment 8
Bridgewater High School
5.4 km · Warrington

Good2022

1.8applications per place 55.0Attainment 8

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Academy sponsor led
Phase: Secondary
URN · DfE number: 146765 · 877/4010
Trust: The Challenge Academy Trust
Capacity: 750 pupils · 661 on roll
Free school meals: 51.1% of pupils (England median 23%)
SEN provision: Resourced provision
Opened: 1 December 2018
Replaced: University Academy Warrington (URN 139072); Lysander Community High School (URN 111438)
Address: Insall Road, Warrington, WA2 0LN
Local authority: Warrington

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources