Rooks Nest Academy

Rooks Nest Academy has been evaluated as a good school overall during its first routine inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Leaders foster high expectations for both academic and personal development, resulting in a positive and inclusive environment where pupils enjoy educational experiences. The school promotes respectful relationships and encourages pupils to take on leadership roles that prepare them for future societal involvement. However, there are some inconsistencies in curriculum mapping across subjects that need to be addressed to ensure all pupils learn essential knowledge effectively.

Strengths

• High expectations for academic and personal development
• Positive relationships among pupils and staff
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Ambitious curriculum designed by leaders
• Commitment to fostering a love of learning
• Range of clubs and extra-curricular activities available to pupils
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in curriculum mapping in some subjects
• Less defined early years curriculum in certain 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 Rooks Nest Academy attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.4% 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 Rooks Nest Academy 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 Rooks Nest Academy had 23.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.2% 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, 13.9% of pupils at Rooks Nest Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% 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 Rooks Nest Academy received £6,802 and spent £6,236 for each of its 339 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £893,000 (£2,634 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 Wakefield · Wakefield local authority: places and applications

What is Rooks Nest Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rooks Nest Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Rooks Nest Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Rooks Nest Academy was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Rooks Nest Academy have?

Rooks Nest Academy has 368 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rooks Nest Academy cover?

Rooks Nest Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Rooks Nest Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 85% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Rooks Nest Academy?

Rooks Nest Academy is at Rooks Nest Road, Outwood, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 3DX.