Salterlee Primary School

Salterlee Primary School has maintained its status as a good school during this latest inspection. The leadership of the school, under headteacher Lucy Harper, is effectively supported by the Polaris Multi-Academy Trust, aiming to provide a high-quality educational experience for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school promotes a supportive and friendly environment where pupils feel safe and valued, contributing positively to school life through activities like the school council and various clubs.

Strengths

• High expectations from leaders and teachers
• Effective teaching of phonics
• Engaging and well-planned curriculum
• Strong sense of community within the school
• Pupils have positive relationships and behave well
• Effective support for disadvantaged pupils

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum does not fully meet the needs in some foundation subjects for mixed-age classes

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 Salterlee Primary School attended 93.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.0% 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 Salterlee 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 Salterlee Primary School had 15.4 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, 6.8% of pupils at Salterlee Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.1% 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 2024–25 Salterlee Primary School received £8,624 and spent £8,457 for each of its 83 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £62,000 (-£744 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Polaris Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,304 and spending £6,520 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Halifax · Calderdale local authority: places and applications

Salterlee Primary School is part of Polaris Multi Academy Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Siddal Primary School Halifax
• Rastrick High School Brighouse
• Old Earth Primary School Elland
• Field Lane Primary School Brighouse
• Luddendenfoot Academy Halifax
• Fixby Junior and Infant School Huddersfield

What is Salterlee Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Salterlee Primary School is Good, from an inspection in February 2024.

When was Salterlee Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Salterlee Primary School was last inspected in February 2024.

How many pupils does Salterlee Primary School have?

Salterlee Primary School has 74 pupils on roll.

What age range does Salterlee Primary School cover?

Salterlee Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Salterlee Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 42% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Salterlee Primary School?

Salterlee Primary School is at Kell Lane, Shibden, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX3 7AY.