Ackworth Mill Dam School

Ackworth Mill Dam School is performing well overall, with inspectors finding the expected standard across achievement, behaviour and attendance, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development. Safeguarding requirements are met. Pupils achieve well by the end of Year 6, particularly in writing and mathematics, and disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND make secure progress from their starting points. Attendance is a high priority, persistent absence is below national averages, and behaviour has improved markedly in a calm and orderly school environment. Notable strengths include a well-considered and established curriculum, strong prioritisation of reading and phonics, effective vocabulary and oracy work, and high-quality early years provision that builds independence and readiness for key stage 1. Pupils are polite, well mannered, proud of their work and benefit from a wide range of personal development opportunities, including clubs, leadership roles, journaling, residential visits, and PSHE that prepares them well for life in modern Britain. Leadership is ambitious, well supported by The Waterton Academy Trust, and trustees and governors provide effective challenge and support. Staff value leaders' collaborative approach and protected professional learning time. There are two main areas for further development. Leaders should refine the order in which important knowledge and skills are taught in the early years so that children's learning builds even more securely on what they already know and can do. They should also sharpen systems for monitoring the progress of pupils with SEND, so that adaptations and support are consistently effective and leaders can respond precisely to changing needs. The school is part of The Waterton Academy Trust, and both the executive headteacher and head of school have been appointed since the last inspection.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well, typically at or above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics by Year 6.
• Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils make secure progress from their starting points.
• Attendance is a high priority and persistent absence is below national averages.
• Pupils behave well, are extremely well mannered and are kind to each other.
• Leaders have strengthened behaviour systems and dramatically reduced behaviour incidents.
• The curriculum is well-considered, established and tailored to pupils' needs.
• Reading and phonics are prioritised effectively, with well-matched books and accurate modelling.
• Vocabulary and oracy are developed well across the curriculum.
• Early years provision is strong, building independence, concentration and readiness for key stage 1.
• Additional needs are identified quickly, and staff receive relevant training to support disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Leadership is ambitious and well supported by the trust, with effective governance and staff wellbeing.
• Personal development is rich, including PSHE, clubs, leadership roles, journaling and memorable experiences.
• Pupils feel safe, cared for and listened to, and bullying is rare and dealt with promptly.

Areas for Improvement

• The early years curriculum does not yet sequence important knowledge and skills consistently well enough to build on what children already know and can do.
• Leaders do not monitor the impact of SEND support and adaptations precisely enough to respond consistently to changes in pupils' needs.

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 Ackworth Mill Dam School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.5% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Ackworth Mill Dam 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 Ackworth Mill Dam School had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.4% 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, 12.0% of pupils at Ackworth Mill Dam School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.4% 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 Ackworth Mill Dam School received £7,051 and spent £6,655 for each of its 213 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £177,000 (£829 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Waterton Academy Trust, income was £7,509 and spending £7,385 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

Ackworth Mill Dam School is part of Waterton Academy Trust, which runs 16 schools. The nearest others:

• King's Meadow Academy Pontefract
• West End Academy Pontefract
• Cherry Tree Academy Pontefract
• South Kirkby Academy Pontefract
• Sharlston Community School Wakefield
• Crofton Infant School Wakefield
• Normanton Junior Academy Normanton
• Normanton Common Primary Academy Normanton
• Walton Primary Academy Wakefield
• Altofts Junior Academy Normanton

What is Ackworth Mill Dam School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ackworth Mill Dam School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Ackworth Mill Dam School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ackworth Mill Dam School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Ackworth Mill Dam School have?

Ackworth Mill Dam School has 225 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ackworth Mill Dam School cover?

Ackworth Mill Dam School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Ackworth Mill Dam School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ackworth Mill Dam School?

Ackworth Mill Dam School is at Mill Gate, Ackworth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF7 7PH.