Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School

Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School has shown significant improvement since its last inspection, moving from requires improvement to a good overall effectiveness rating. The school fosters a supportive and enriching environment where pupils excel both academically and personally, exhibiting outstanding behaviour and attitudes. The curriculum is ambitious and especially strong in mathematics and reading. The personal development program is exemplary, preparing students to be socially aware and actively engaged in their community.

Strengths

• Outstanding behaviour and attitudes among students.
• Strong progress in mathematics and reading.
• A rich and ambitious curriculum that engages pupils.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
• An exemplary personal development program.
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge and use assessment effectively.

Areas for Improvement

• Wider curriculum lacks clear identification of essential knowledge.
• Progress in writing is not as strong as other areas.

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 Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.9% 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, 0.4% of pupils at Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School had 24.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.9% 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, 6.1% of pupils at Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School received £6,161 and spent £6,203 for each of its 225 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £27,000 (£121 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 · Wakefield local authority: places and applications

What is Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School have?

Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School has 229 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School cover?

Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School?

Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School is at Station Road, Low Ackworth, Station Road, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF7 7HH.