The Vale Primary Academy

The Vale Primary Academy is performing exceptionally well across all areas inspected. Pupils thrive in an exceptionally caring and welcoming school where staff prioritise well-being and hold high aspirations. Relationships between staff and pupils are very strong, pupils behave consistently well, and the school promotes regular and punctual attendance. The curriculum is broad, ambitious and thoughtfully sequenced, and pupils make remarkable progress from their starting points. Reading and phonics are particular strengths: children begin a systematic phonics programme in Reception, staff are experts, and pupils who fall behind receive quick, targeted support. Pupils with SEND are fully included and achieve exceptionally well, and early years children get an excellent start in a well-resourced environment. Personal development and leadership are also strong. Pupils take on leadership roles, benefit from trips and career-related learning, and are well prepared for life in modern Britain. The Delta Academies Trust provides effective support and accountability, staff well-being and workload are managed thoughtfully, and safeguarding is effective. This was the school's first routine inspection since the pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since May 2013; it has a higher-than-average number of pupils requiring SEND support. The report identifies no areas for improvement.

Strengths

• Exceptionally caring and welcoming environment that prioritises pupil well-being
• Exceptionally strong staff-pupil relationships that nurture ambition and trust
• Consistently positive pupil behaviour in lessons and at social times
• Broad, ambitious and expertly designed curriculum across all subjects
• Thoughtfully sequenced curriculum that builds on prior learning and addresses misconceptions quickly
• Rich reading environment that develops fluency and a love of books
• Systematic phonics curriculum starting in Reception with expert teaching and quick catch-up support
• High-quality early years provision that promotes independence, collaboration and problem-solving
• Fully inclusive provision for pupils with SEND, who achieve exceptionally well
• Strong personal development with leadership roles, trips and career-related learning
• Effective trust support and strong professional development for staff
• Strong leadership that supports staff well-being and manages workload effectively
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

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 The Vale Primary Academy attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.2% 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 The Vale Primary 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 The Vale Primary Academy had 25.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.7% 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, 20.2% of pupils at The Vale Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.8% 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 2024–25 The Vale Primary Academy received £5,542 and spent £7,736 for each of its 208 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £301,000 (£1,447 per pupil).

Across all 62 schools of Delta Academies Trust, income was £7,459 and spending £7,562 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 Knottingley · Wakefield local authority: places and applications

The Vale Primary Academy is part of Delta Academies Trust, which runs 62 schools. The nearest others:

• Simpson's Lane Academy Knottingley
• England Lane Academy Knottingley
• Willow Green Academy Knottingley
• De Lacy Academy Knottingley
• Green Lane Primary Academy Leeds
• East Garforth Primary Academy Leeds
• Garforth Academy Leeds
• Highfields Primary Academy Doncaster
• Don Valley Academy Doncaster
• Goldthorpe Primary Academy Rotherham

What is The Vale Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Vale Primary Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was The Vale Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Vale Primary Academy was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does The Vale Primary Academy have?

The Vale Primary Academy has 218 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Vale Primary Academy cover?

The Vale Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are The Vale Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Vale Primary Academy?

The Vale Primary Academy is at Ferrybridge Road, Knottingley, West Yorkshire, WF11 8JF.