Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary-Controlled Primary School demonstrates good overall effectiveness, with notable strengths in its welcoming environment and the positive behavior of pupils. The school has effectively managed challenging circumstances, including staffing changes and the impacts of the pandemic, allowing it to continue fostering a positive learning atmosphere. Although there are some areas for improvement, such as refining the curriculum and supporting pupils with special educational needs, the school is positioned well for future development.

Strengths

• Pupils arrive eager to learn and settle quickly into school life.
• The school promotes positive attitudes through its 'SHINE' rules.
• Pupils feel safe and supported, with low incidents of bullying.
• Leaders have high expectations and effectively manage pastoral support.
• The introduction of a new phonics scheme enhances early reading.
• Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge and effective teaching strategies.
• Pupils engage well in physical education and other subjects.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum plans do not consistently identify key components of knowledge.
• Some pupils with SEND are not given work tailored to their needs.

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 Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary 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 Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary 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 Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School had 19.0 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, 11.4% of pupils at Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% 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 Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School received £7,638 and spent £7,853 for each of its 99 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £235,000 (£2,378 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 Pontefract · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

What is Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School have?

Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has 105 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School cover?

Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?

Kirk Smeaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Main Street, Kirk Smeaton, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 3JY.