Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School

Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School is a smaller-than-average primary school where pupils feel safe and valued, and where safeguarding requirements are met. Inspectors found the school performing at expected standards across achievement, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. The school’s family feel, community links and focus on pupils’ wider development are clear strengths, and pupils benefit from a broad offer including music, sport, visits, leadership roles and strong mental health support. Behaviour is positive, and staff apply the school’s relationship-focused approach consistently. The main concern is attendance, which remains an area needing attention: overall absence and persistent absence are above national averages, and leaders’ recently introduced processes have not yet had enough time to show sustained impact. There are also weaknesses in writing and outcomes. A small group of pupils do not secure the foundational knowledge needed to become fluent writers, and the renewed approach to writing is at different stages across the school. Published reading outcomes declined in 2024/25 and were below the national average, and disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics combined, and in reading and mathematics, are below national averages. Leaders are taking action, including improvements in mathematics and training for writing, but the next steps are to embed the writing work and sustain better attendance.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils feel safe and well cared for.
• Pupils are happy, settled and feel welcomed and valued in a school with a strong family feel.
• Behaviour is positive, and the relationship-focused behaviour policy has improved conduct.
• Personal development and wellbeing provision is strong, including targeted mental health support.
• Pupils access a wide range of wider opportunities, including music, sport, visits and leadership roles.
• Early years provides a nurturing start, with strong parent relationships and swift identification of needs.
• Inclusion is effective, and pupils with SEND or other barriers receive precise support and make progress.
• Phonics and mathematics teaching are structured well and help pupils secure basic skills.
• Leaders understand curriculum quality, provide relevant staff training and support staff workload and wellbeing.
• Governors share the school’s values, challenge leaders appropriately and meet statutory responsibilities.
• The wider curriculum is well considered, with pupils building knowledge in subjects such as history.
• Pupils understand fundamental British values, different religions and how to stay safe.
• The school is at the heart of its community, and parents are supportive and well informed.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance requires improvement, with overall absence and persistent absence above national averages.
• New attendance processes have not yet had full impact, and improvements are not yet sustained.
• A small group of pupils do not secure the basic knowledge needed to become fluent writers.
• The renewed writing approach is at different stages across the school and not all pupils benefit fully.
• Published reading outcomes declined in 2024/25 and were below the national average.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ combined reading, writing and mathematics outcomes are below national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ reading and mathematics outcomes are below national averages.
• Some curriculum adjustments, especially in writing, are relatively new and gaps in pupils’ understanding are still being addressed.

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 Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.4% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant 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 Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School had 19.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.2% 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, 9.8% of pupils at Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.9% 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 Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School received £7,237 and spent £7,333 for each of its 180 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £17,000 (£94 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).

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What is Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School have?

Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School has 183 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School cover?

Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School?

Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School is at Netherton Lane, Netherton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 4HQ.