Founded in 1735, the school originally was sited in the centre of Ossett, but the old building was demolished in 1908 to make way for a new Town Hall.[2] The 1902 Education Act and the subsequent establishment of the West Riding County Council as the local education authority paved the way for the trustees to transfer the trust property, money and endowments to the Education Committee of Ossett Town Council.[citation needed] In 1907 the new co-educational Ossett Grammar School opened at its new location at Park House, off Storrs Hill Road.[2][3]
Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College is a much larger than average secondary school with a large sixth form. The proportion of students supported through the pupil premium is below the national average. The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is above average.[4]
Since 2012 the secondary school and sixth form have consistently ranked as one of the top 3 schools/colleges for academic performance in the Wakefield area and in the top 15% nationally.[5] As of 2017 the Secondary School was ranked as the 2nd best in Wakefield in terms of Attainment 8 Score and Grade 4 & 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs.[6]
Ofsted Inspections
The latest section 5 OFSTED inspection report of Ossett Academy, released in 2013, stated that the school was 'good' overall (Grade 2), with 'outstanding' features.[7]
In 2012 the Academy received its first ever section 5 OFSTED inspection report and was deemed 'satisfactory' overall (Grade 3), with 'good' features [8]