Howard Park Community School

Howard Park Community School continues to demonstrate good performance overall, characterized by strong relationships between pupils and staff, which foster a safe and nurturing environment. Pupils are engaged in their learning and display positive attitudes, benefiting from a well-structured and ambitious curriculum that includes numerous enrichment activities. Leaders prioritize the teaching of phonics and early reading, showing commitment to ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive appropriate support for their progression. However, while the school excels in various areas, there are still concerns regarding the support provided to some key stage 2 pupils who struggle with reading. The assessment of their phonic knowledge is not frequent enough to address specific gaps effectively, leading to slower progress in their reading skills. This is a crucial area for improvement as the school aims to further enhance its overall effectiveness and support for all learners.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between pupils and staff.
• Positive and nurturing atmosphere in the school.
• Pupils feel safe and engaged in their learning.
• Curriculum is carefully thought through and ambitious.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Strong focus on vocabulary development across the curriculum.
• Prioritization of early reading and phonics.
• Culture of inclusivity and strong leadership.

Areas for Improvement

• Inadequate support for key stage 2 pupils at early reading stages.
• Infrequent assessment of phonic knowledge gaps for some pupils.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Howard Park Community School attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.4% of pupils at Howard Park Community School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Howard Park Community School had 20.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 8.1% of pupils at Howard Park Community School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Howard Park Community School received £8,264 and spent £8,312 for each of its 231 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £58,000 (£251 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Cleckheaton · Kirklees local authority: places and applications

What is Howard Park Community School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Howard Park Community School is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was Howard Park Community School last inspected by Ofsted?

Howard Park Community School was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does Howard Park Community School have?

Howard Park Community School has 235 pupils on roll.

What age range does Howard Park Community School cover?

Howard Park Community School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Howard Park Community School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Howard Park Community School?

Howard Park Community School is at St. Peg Lane, Cleckheaton, BD19 3SA.