Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School

Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School is a highly effective school where pupils flourish. Inspectors found outstanding provision across the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Pupils rise to very high expectations, build exceptionally strong relationships, and are kind, self-controlled and proud to attend. The curriculum is expertly mapped and taught, helping pupils build and remember knowledge securely. Reading and phonics support are strong, pupils with SEND make exceptional progress, and personal development is rich, including residential visits and reflection on feelings and faiths. Safeguarding is effective, governors provide strong challenge and support, and staff feel their workload and well-being are considered. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a Church of England voluntary controlled junior school, and under the current framework no overall effectiveness grade is given. No significant concerns were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Expertly mapped curriculum that helps pupils build and retain knowledge securely
• Pupils attain highly across the curriculum and in national tests
• Highly effective support for pupils with SEND, who make exceptional progress
• Swift identification and effective phonics support for pupils needing extra reading help
• Strong culture of reading with deliberate text choices
• Pupils' behaviour is kind, self-controlled and calm
• Rich personal development and residential trip programme
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Governors provide high challenge and support
• Staff workload and well-being are carefully considered

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 Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.2% 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 Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior 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 Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School had 20.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.1% 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, 19.9% of pupils at Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% 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 Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School received £6,349 and spent £6,312 for each of its 336 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £486,000 (£1,447 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 Ossett · Wakefield local authority: places and applications

What is Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School have?

Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School has 336 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School cover?

Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 94% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School?

Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School is at Southdale Road, Southdale Ce Junior School, Ossett, West Yorkshire, WF5 8BA.