Helme Church of England Academy

Helme Church of England Academy is a small, welcoming Church of England school within Learning Accord Multi Academy Trust. Inspectors found pupils feel safe, happy and proud, attendance is significantly above national average, and behaviour is exemplary. Early years provision is a notable strength, with a well-structured phonics programme and strong support for children's communication, vocabulary and number skills. Safeguarding standards are met. A high proportion of pupils have SEND or EHC plans, and leaders identify needs and support inclusion well. Achievement, curriculum, inclusion, leadership and personal development are generally effective. Pupils generally achieve well, and 2025 attainment was in line with or above national averages across most measures, with improving outcomes over time. Leaders have an accurate view of the school, are well supported by trustees, governors and the trust, and staff and parents are positive. The curriculum is well sequenced and reading is a priority, helping more pupils become fluent readers. However, provision is not yet consistently excellent across all areas. Some teachers do not always adapt work to pupils' needs, and the revised assessment and teaching approach is still being embedded. Leaders should ensure consistently strong teaching across subjects and year groups so attainment is consistently above average. Support for pupils facing barriers is not always specific enough, opportunities and experiences for vulnerable pupils need more consistent enhancement, and PSHE knowledge of British values and world religions and cultures is developing but not consistently secure. Disadvantaged pupils' combined attainment remains below national average over the latest three years, though improving.

Strengths

• Pupils feel a strong sense of belonging and attend very well; attendance is significantly above national average, including for pupils with SEND.
• Behaviour is exemplary, with calm and orderly classrooms and very little bullying or discriminatory behaviour.
• Early years provision gives children a strong start, including a well-structured phonics programme and effective personal, social and emotional development.
• Children in early years develop communication, vocabulary and number skills through frequent, high-quality interactions.
• Leaders identify early years gaps quickly and target support effectively.
• Pupils generally achieve well, and 2025 attainment was in line with or above national averages across most published measures.
• Leaders have prioritised reading, helping increasing numbers of pupils become competent, fluent readers.
• Pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and other vulnerable pupils are generally well supported and make effective progress.
• The school has a welcoming, inclusive culture with effective systems to identify pupils' needs.
• Trustees and governors are well informed, fulfil statutory duties and provide effective support and challenge.
• Staff are proud to work at the school and feel well supported with workload and wellbeing.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and the support it offers.
• The personal, social and health education programme is comprehensive and covers safety, relationships and diversity.
• Pupils benefit from enrichment clubs, educational visits, outdoor learning and pupil leadership opportunities.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching is not consistently adapted to pupils' needs or understanding, so some pupils learn less well.
• The revised system for consistent teaching and assessment is still in the early stages of implementation.
• Attainment in national tests is not yet consistently above average across all subjects and year groups.
• Support strategies for some pupils facing barriers are not specific enough, limiting consistent impact.
• Opportunities and experiences for all pupils facing barriers are not yet consistently enhanced.
• The PSHE curriculum does not yet ensure secure, detailed knowledge across all aspects, including British values and world religions and cultures.
• Disadvantaged pupils' combined reading, writing and mathematics attainment remains below national average on the latest three-year average.

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 Helme Church of England Academy attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.5% 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 Helme Church of England 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 Helme Church of England Academy had 17.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 29.4% of pupils at Helme Church of England Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.8% 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 Helme Church of England Academy received £8,490 and spent £8,214 for each of its 133 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £213,000 (£1,600 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Learning Accord Multi Academy Trust, income was £6,872 and spending £6,958 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 Holmfirth · Kirklees local authority: places and applications

Helme Church of England Academy is part of Learning Accord Multi Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• New Mill Infant School Holmfirth
• New Mill Junior School Holmfirth
• Lowerhouses CofE Primary School Huddersfield
• Lindley Church of England Infant School Huddersfield
• Hepworth Junior and Infant School Holmfirth
• St Thomas CE Primary School Huddersfield
• Cumberworth CofE First School Huddersfield
• St Aidan's Church of England Academy Huddersfield
• Skelmanthorpe Academy Huddersfield
• St Augustine's CofE School Halifax

What is Helme Church of England Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Helme Church of England Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Helme Church of England Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Helme Church of England Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Helme Church of England Academy have?

Helme Church of England Academy has 136 pupils on roll.

What age range does Helme Church of England Academy cover?

Helme Church of England Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Helme Church of England Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Helme Church of England Academy?

Helme Church of England Academy is at Helme, Meltham, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, HD9 5RW.