South Ossett Infant Academy

South Ossett Infant Academy has demonstrated a good overall performance since its transformation from an outstanding infant school to an academy. The school fosters a positive and respectful environment, where pupils develop good relationships with their peers and staff. The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, supporting the educational needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). However, the school faces challenges in ensuring that every pupil, particularly those with SEND, receives tailored support that enables their optimal learning.

Strengths

• Pupils display kindness and respect towards each other.
• The teaching of routines starts in early years, promoting independence and maturity.
• The phonics curriculum is well established, enhancing reading skills.
• Staff consider the well-being and workload of each other, providing a supportive environment.
• Pupils engage positively in their learning and enjoy school activities.

Areas for Improvement

• Insufficient opportunities for pupils to practice and deepen their learning in some subjects.
• Support strategies for pupils with SEND are not precisely matched to their needs.
• Recording of safeguarding actions lacks precision for better evaluation.

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 Ossett Infant Academy attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.9% 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, 0.0% of pupils at South Ossett Infant 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 South Ossett Infant Academy had 10.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 41.0% 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, 18.3% of pupils at South Ossett Infant Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.4% 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 South Ossett Infant Academy received £8,702 and spent £9,087 for each of its 72 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £85,000 (£1,183 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Place Partnership - A Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,667 and spending £7,527 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 Ossett · Wakefield local authority: places and applications

South Ossett Infant Academy is part of Place Partnership - A Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College Ossett
• Horbury Academy Wakefield
• Horbury Primary Academy Wakefield
• Middlestown Primary Academy Wakefield
• Wath Academy Rotherham
• Ravenfield Primary Academy Rotherham
• Sir Thomas Wharton Academy Doncaster
• Maltby Redwood Academy Rotherham
• Maltby Lilly Hall Academy Rotherham
• Maltby Manor Academy Rotherham

What is South Ossett Infant Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for South Ossett Infant Academy is Good, from an inspection in February 2024.

When was South Ossett Infant Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

South Ossett Infant Academy was last inspected in February 2024.

How many pupils does South Ossett Infant Academy have?

South Ossett Infant Academy has 71 pupils on roll.

What age range does South Ossett Infant Academy cover?

South Ossett Infant Academy for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is South Ossett Infant Academy?

South Ossett Infant Academy is at Vicar Lane, Ossett, West Yorkshire, WF5 0BE.