St Giles C of E Academy

St Giles C of E Academy is currently undergoing a positive transformation, with indications that the school's performance has improved significantly since its last inspection. The school's strong Christian ethos fosters a culture of kindness and respect among pupils, who demonstrate excellent behavior and mature interpersonal skills. The curriculum is designed ambitiously to cater to individual pupil needs, offering high standards of education and personal development. With robust support structures, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the school is well-prepared for future challenges as it prepares for its upcoming graded inspection.

Strengths

• Strong Christian ethos promoting kindness and respect.
• High standards of achievement across the curriculum.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Highly ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum.
• Consistent and skilled teaching of phonics and reading.
• Excellent pupil behavior and engagement in lessons.
• Strong leadership and collaborative culture among staff.
• Positive relationships with parents and the local community.

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 St Giles C of E Academy attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.2% 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, 3.4% of pupils at St Giles C of E 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 St Giles C of E Academy had 20.5 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, 23.4% of pupils at St Giles C of E Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.6% 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 St Giles C of E Academy received £6,602 and spent £6,617 for each of its 338 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £144,000 (-£425 per pupil).

Across all 17 schools of Enhance Academy Trust, income was £7,136 and spending £7,057 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 Pontefract · Wakefield local authority: places and applications

St Giles C of E Academy is part of Enhance Academy Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• Featherstone All Saints CofE Academy Pontefract
• St Botolphs CE Academy Knottingley
• St Helen's CE Primary School Pontefract
• Sandal Magna Community Academy Wakefield
• CAPA College Wakefield
• Royston St John Baptist CE Primary Barnsley
• St Michael's CofE Academy Wakefield
• Horbury Bridge Church of England Junior and Infant Academy Wakefield
• St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Barnsley Barnsley
• Overthorpe CofE Academy Dewsbury

What is St Giles C of E Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Giles C of E Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was St Giles C of E Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Giles C of E Academy was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does St Giles C of E Academy have?

St Giles C of E Academy has 337 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Giles C of E Academy cover?

St Giles C of E Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Giles C of E Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Giles C of E Academy?

St Giles C of E Academy is at Skinner Lane, Pontefract, WF8 1HG.