South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School

South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School is a small, inclusive infant and nursery school serving a relatively deprived area, with above-average free school meals and many children starting with speech and language delay. Inspectors found it performing strongly overall: pupils achieve well, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, and are well prepared for the next stage. Reading and phonics are particular strengths, with children getting off to a prompt start and becoming fluent, confident readers. The curriculum and teaching are high quality and carefully adapted, and leaders have created a strong culture of inclusion, high expectations and effective professional development. Governance is effective, pastoral care is impressive, and pupils are happy, confident, respectful and safe. Behaviour is calm and positive, and pupils benefit from a wide range of personal development and community opportunities. There are two main areas for further work. Early years leaders have made recent changes to strengthen writing foundations, but these need to be fully embedded so more children leave Reception ready for Year 1. Attendance has improved, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, but some pupils still attend sporadically and miss out on the school’s inspiring curriculum; overall and persistent absence also remain above national averages.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, with strong phonics outcomes and readiness for Year 3.
• High-quality curriculum and teaching are carefully adapted to meet pupils’ needs and build language and vocabulary.
• Phonics and reading are a priority, and children become fluent, confident readers early.
• Inclusion is strong, with quick identification of barriers and effective support for SEND and vulnerable pupils.
• Leadership and governance are strong, with high expectations, valued staff and effective professional development.
• Pastoral care and personal development are impressive, building resilience, respect and community involvement.
• Pupils have highly positive attitudes, calm behaviour and feel safe; bullying is rare.
• Attendance strategies have improved rates for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Early years provision is nurturing and language-rich, with effective communication support.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils have sporadic attendance and do not benefit fully from the school’s curriculum.
• Recent early years changes to strengthen writing need to be fully embedded so more children leave Reception ready for Year 1.
• Historically, some Reception children had gaps in early writing.
• Overall and persistent absence remain above national averages.

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 South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School attended 92.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 30.3% 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 South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery 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 South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School had 20.8 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, 16.8% of pupils at South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.8% 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 South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School received £7,760 and spent £7,839 for each of its 187 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £17,000 (£91 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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• Secondary Schools

All schools in Pontefract · Wakefield local authority: places and applications

What is South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School is Expected standard, from an inspection in February 2026.

When was South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School was last inspected in February 2026.

How many pupils does South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School have?

South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School has 208 pupils on roll.

What age range does South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School cover?

South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School?

South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School is at Common Road, South Kirkby, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF9 3EA.