Holycroft Primary School

Holycroft Primary School has demonstrated good overall effectiveness in its first inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school is well-regarded within the community, with leaders fostering strong relationships between home and school, which positively affects pupil well-being and academic outcomes. The curriculum has been tailored to meet the specific needs of pupils, with a particular emphasis on improving phonics and early reading to address past weaknesses. Although there are notable strengths, such as effective support for SEND pupils and a strong personal development program, the impact of newly introduced initiatives is still being evaluated.

Strengths

• Strong community relationships that support pupil well-being
• Consistently taught phonics program that aids reading development
• Effective support for pupils with SEND enabling access to the curriculum
• Calm and purposeful atmosphere with good pupil behaviour
• Engagement with community through initiatives like food banks

Areas for Improvement

• Some gaps in pupils' phonic knowledge still exist
• Inconsistent delivery of the curriculum in certain subjects

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 Holycroft Primary School attended 90.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 28.5% 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 Holycroft Primary School 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 Holycroft Primary School had 18.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.9% 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, 11.9% of pupils at Holycroft Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.5% 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 Holycroft Primary School received £7,188 and spent £7,387 for each of its 346 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £22,000 (£64 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Northern Star Academies Trust, income was £7,474 and spending £7,332 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 Keighley · Bradford local authority: places and applications

Holycroft Primary School is part of Northern Star Academies Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Victoria Primary School Keighley
• Parkwood Primary School Keighley
• Eastwood Community School Keighley
• Denholme Primary School Bradford
• Greatwood Community Primary School Skipton
• Skipton Girls' High School Skipton
• Byron Primary School Bradford
• Lapage Primary School and Nursery Bradford
• Meadow Bank Community School Bradford
• New Park Primary Academy Harrogate

What is Holycroft Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Holycroft Primary School is Good, from an inspection in April 2023.

When was Holycroft Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Holycroft Primary School was last inspected in April 2023.

How many pupils does Holycroft Primary School have?

Holycroft Primary School has 336 pupils on roll.

What age range does Holycroft Primary School cover?

Holycroft Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Holycroft Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Holycroft Primary School?

Holycroft Primary School is at Victoria Road, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD21 1JF.