Lightcliffe C of E Primary School

Lightcliffe C of E Primary School is performing at the expected standard across all areas inspected, with safeguarding standards met. Pupils typically achieve well: phonics is a significant strength, writing outcomes improved in 2025 to above the national average, and attendance and persistent absence are much better than national averages. Behaviour is positive, pupils feel safe, and the school has a calm, welcoming culture. The school is part of Abbey Multi Academy Trust and has co-headteachers appointed since the previous inspection. Leaders have designed a broad, carefully sequenced curriculum, and teaching is typically effective, including for pupils with SEND. Early years provision is strong, inclusion work is effective, and personal development is a clear strength through clubs, leadership roles, trips and work on British values and different faiths. Governance and trust oversight are effective. There are relatively few concerns. In a small number of lessons and subjects, teaching is less effective: handwriting is not consistently good and pupils sometimes lack opportunities to write at length. Published data also shows disadvantaged pupils' combined outcomes and writing outcomes below national averages, with persistent disadvantage gaps. Leaders should continue to embed workload and wellbeing strategies amid some staff concerns, and ensure consistently effective teaching in all subjects, including writing.

Strengths

• Phonics outcomes are significantly above the national average.
• Writing at the expected standard improved in 2025 and is now above the national average.
• Attendance and persistent absence are well below national averages.
• Pupils behave well, show self-discipline and contribute to a calm, respectful school culture.
• Leaders use clear systems to monitor attendance and act swiftly on barriers.
• The curriculum is broad, carefully designed and sequences knowledge across subjects.
• Teaching is typically effective, and staff check understanding to build on prior knowledge.
• Early years provision is carefully designed, with strong phonics and language development.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported effectively to make progress.
• The pupil premium is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils' attendance and wellbeing.
• Personal development is strong, with clubs, leadership opportunities, careers activities and inclusive trips.
• Governance and trust oversight are effective and hold leaders to account.
• Pupils feel safe, are polite and curious, and show positive attitudes to learning.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching is not consistently effective in a small number of lessons and subjects, including writing.
• Handwriting quality is inconsistent in a few lessons.
• Pupils do not always have enough opportunities to apply their writing knowledge in longer pieces of work.
• Some staff have raised concerns about workload, and further work is needed to ensure all staff feel supported and valued.
• Published data shows disadvantaged pupils' combined outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are below national averages over the latest three years.
• Disadvantaged pupils' writing outcomes and disadvantage gaps remain below national figures.

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 Lightcliffe C of E Primary School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.0% 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 Lightcliffe C of E 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 Lightcliffe C of E Primary School had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.8% 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, 12.7% of pupils at Lightcliffe C of E Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.5% 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 Lightcliffe C of E Primary School received £6,222 and spent £6,437 for each of its 399 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £514,000 (£1,287 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Abbey Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,974 and spending £8,005 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 Halifax · Calderdale local authority: places and applications

Lightcliffe C of E Primary School is part of Abbey Multi Academy Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Lightcliffe Academy Halifax
• Christ Church Upper Armley Church of England Primary School Leeds
• Abbey Grange Church of England Academy Leeds
• St Chad's Church of England Primary School Leeds
• Holy Trinity Church of England Academy, Rothwell Leeds
• Bishop Young Church of England Academy Leeds
• Manston St James Primary Academy Leeds

What is Lightcliffe C of E Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lightcliffe C of E Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Lightcliffe C of E Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lightcliffe C of E Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Lightcliffe C of E Primary School have?

Lightcliffe C of E Primary School has 370 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lightcliffe C of E Primary School cover?

Lightcliffe C of E Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Lightcliffe C of E Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lightcliffe C of E Primary School?

Lightcliffe C of E Primary School is at Wakefield Road, Lightcliffe, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX3 8SH.