English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy

English Martyrs Catholic Primary School is deemed to be performing well, achieving a 'Good' overall effectiveness rating. The school has successfully shifted from its previous inspection grade of 'Requires Improvement' by fostering a supportive and positive environment where pupils make consistent progress. With a strong emphasis on an ambitious curriculum aligned with Catholic values, the school has cultivated positive relationships with both pupils and the local community. Leadership is effective, and staff members are dedicated to providing a high-quality education for all learners, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• Ambitious curriculum underpinned by Catholic values.
• Positive and caring school culture.
• Strong progress in pupils' learning over time.
• Effective support for pupils and their families.
• High expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Strong early years provision with effective support for children's needs.
• Consistent teaching of phonics to enhance reading skills.
• Constructive relationships between staff and pupils.
• Effective governance that supports and challenges school leaders.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects have overly broad knowledge expectations.
• Inconsistent checking for gaps in pupils' understanding.
• Support for some pupils with SEND lacks precise focus.

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 English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.2% 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, 1.4% of pupils at English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary 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 English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy had 24.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% 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, 18.8% of pupils at English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary 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 English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy received £6,900 and spent £6,744 for each of its 212 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £77,000 (-£363 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of The Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust, income was £6,890 and spending £7,055 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

English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is part of The Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• St Austin's Catholic Primary School Wakefield
• St Ignatius Catholic Primary School Wakefield
• St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy Wakefield
• St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy Dewsbury
• St. John the Baptist Catholic Primary School Normanton
• St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy Pontefract
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford Castleford
• Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Pontefract
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Pontefract Pontefract
• Holy Family and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Pontefract

What is English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is Good, from an inspection in February 2024.

When was English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy was last inspected in February 2024.

How many pupils does English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy have?

English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy has 223 pupils on roll.

What age range does English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy cover?

English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?

English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is at Dewsbury Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 9DD.