Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School

Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School is a small, inclusive first school that sits at the heart of its community. Inspectors found pupils are happy, safe and well behaved, with strong relationships between staff and pupils and high expectations for achievement and conduct. The school provides a broad, progressive curriculum from Reception to Year 5, and pupils benefit from regular opportunities to revisit prior learning. Reading and phonics are particular strengths: phonics begins in Reception, staff are well trained, and pupils who fall behind receive effective support, leading to strong outcomes in the phonics screening check. Leaders have a clear focus on inclusion and on supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff identify needs quickly and provide appropriate support, helping these pupils grow in confidence and independence. Attendance is monitored closely, and the school's actions have significantly reduced persistent absence. Pupils also take part in a wide range of roles and activities, including the school council and play leader responsibilities, which help build confidence and independence. The governing body knows the school well and holds leaders to account effectively, and staff value the professional development they receive. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main areas for improvement relate to assessment and pupils' understanding of fundamental British values. In a small number of subjects, teachers do not act quickly enough on assessment information, so some pupils have gaps in their knowledge before moving on. In addition, some pupils cannot explain fundamental British values or how these values are relevant to their everyday lives. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has not been inspected under section 5 since 2013, when it was judged outstanding and therefore exempt from routine inspection.

Strengths

• Inclusive school at the heart of its community with a values-led ethos
• High expectations for pupils' achievement and behaviour
• Pupils feel happy and safe and behave well in lessons and around school
• Older pupils act as excellent role models for younger pupils
• Bullying is extremely rare and adults deal with problems quickly
• Curriculum builds progressively from Reception to Year 5 and revisits prior learning
• Strong phonics teaching from Reception with effective support for pupils who fall behind
• Pupils achieve highly in the Year 1 phonics screening check
• Reading books match pupils' learned sounds and pupils are enthusiastic readers
• Early years staff focus well on communication and language development
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported effectively
• Attendance is monitored closely and persistent absence has reduced significantly
• Pupils have many opportunities to take on roles and responsibilities
• Leadership and governance are effective and staff value professional development
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, teachers do not act quickly enough on assessment information, leaving gaps in pupils' knowledge
• Some pupils do not have a secure understanding of fundamental British values or how they relate to everyday life

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 Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School attended 96.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 0.0% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First 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 Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School had 18.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 100.0% 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, 14.0% of pupils at Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.8% 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 Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School received £9,213 and spent £9,554 for each of its 57 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £0 (£1 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 Huddersfield · Kirklees local authority: places and applications

What is Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School have?

Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School has 57 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School cover?

Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School for pupils aged 4 to 10.

Where is Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School?

Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School is at Marsh Hall Lane, Thurstonland, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD4 6XD.