The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Addenbrooke Classical Academy
Addenbrooke Classical Academy is a small charter high school in Lakewood, part of the Jefferson County School District R-1. It serves only ninth through twelfth grades, which makes the published state test results somewhat tricky to interpret: the available scores come from grades six through eight, suggesting the school previously had a middle school program or that the data is from an earlier iteration. Those results are from the pandemic-affected 2020-21 school year and show that roughly a quarter of tested students met state proficiency benchmarks in math and reading, with a smaller share reaching that level in science. Participation across those tests hovered around four-fifths, meaning a notable number of students were not assessed. A parent should view these figures as a partial picture at best — the current high school may have a different academic profile, and no more recent or high-school-level results were available.
Enrollment is small, with about enough students to fill a modest high school, distributed fairly evenly across the four grade levels. The student body is roughly half white and two-fifths Hispanic, with small shares of Asian, multiracial, and other groups. A very small portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a low-poverty population overall. Data on special education and English learner enrollment was not reported, so families with children in those categories should clarify supports directly with the school. Because the school is a charter, it operates with some autonomy from the district, though it remains part of Jeffco.
Lakewood itself is a large suburban city immediately west of Denver, shaped by mid-century residential growth and major institutional employers like the Denver Federal Center, St. Anthony Hospital, and several higher education campuses. The housing market is expensive relative to national averages, with a mix of older suburban homes and newer redevelopment projects such as the Belmar mixed-use district. The city's population growth has slowed sharply after decades of expansion, and the built environment remains largely car-oriented despite the arrival of light rail in the 2010s.
The district-level context is in flux. In 2024, Jeffco voters approved a major bond measure for facility and technology upgrades, the first such bond in many years, and also recalled three school board members amid disputes over transparency and consolidation plans. A previous proposal to close sixteen schools was reversed after community pushback, and the district has since formed a committee to study long-term capacity and possible consolidations, meaning families face some uncertainty about future school boundaries and resource allocation. Meanwhile, the district adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading, which may affect feeder patterns but has limited direct impact on this high school.
Addenbrooke does not appear to publish detailed program offerings in the available data, and no information was provided on course access, advanced placement, dual enrollment, or career pathways. There is also no graduation rate, chronic absenteeism data, or discipline record reported. For a family considering this school, the next step would be to request current high school test scores, graduation outcomes, and a description of the academic program — especially how the school prepares students for college or career after a diploma. The small size and low poverty rate may appeal to families seeking a close-knit environment, but the lack of transparent performance metrics means that firsthand inquiry at the school and conversations with current families will be essential to get a clear sense of what the school actually delivers.
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