Carlinghow Academy

Carlinghow Academy is meeting expected standards across the inspected areas, with safeguarding standards met. Inspectors found a calm, inclusive school where pupils feel safe and valued, behaviour is positive, and leaders have improved attendance so that it is now in line with national averages. The school serves a disadvantaged community, with above-average proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals and pupils with SEND or EHC plans, and it is part of Great Heights Academy Trust. Leaders have a clear vision and are effective in identifying and addressing priorities. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND achieve well, early years provision is strong, and the curriculum is sequenced and adapted well. Reading attainment has been below national averages, although leaders have identified the causes and are taking action; writing and mathematics are broadly in line. Pupils' personal development is broad and inclusive. The main areas for further work are to continue strengthening reading so attainment matches writing and mathematics, ensure staff consistently correct errors and misconceptions, apply handwriting expectations across the curriculum, and deepen pupils' knowledge of legally protected characteristics.

Strengths

• Strong inclusive culture with effective support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment is in line with or above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils with SEND make effective progress from their individual starting points.
• Early reading and mathematics are prioritised, with strong phonics and multiplication tables outcomes.
• Attendance has improved to be in line with the national average, with persistent absence significantly reduced.
• Pupils behave well, relationships are respectful and bullying is rare and dealt with quickly.
• Early years provision is calm, nurturing and well sequenced from age 2.
• The curriculum is sequential and adapted well for mixed-age classes and pupils with SEND.
• Leaders, governors and trustees have a clear vision and effective support and challenge from the trust.
• Personal development is broad, inclusive and enriched by visits, visitors and clubs.
• Pupils feel safe and valued and know which trusted adults to speak to.
• Staff wellbeing and professional development are well supported.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' attainment in reading has been below the national average.
• Staff do not routinely identify and correct misconceptions and errors in pupils' work.
• Staff do not consistently support pupils to apply the school's handwriting expectations.
• Pupils have a less secure knowledge of characteristics protected by law.

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 Carlinghow Academy attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.7% 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, 4.4% of pupils at Carlinghow 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 Carlinghow Academy had 17.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.6% 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, 20.1% of pupils at Carlinghow Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 12 pupils.

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 Carlinghow Academy received £9,670 and spent £9,884 for each of its 289 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £397,000 (£1,375 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Great Heights Academy Trust, income was £8,616 and spending £8,424 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 Batley · Kirklees local authority: places and applications

Carlinghow Academy is part of Great Heights Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• The Mirfield Free Grammar Mirfield
• Raynville Academy Leeds
• West Vale Academy Halifax
• The Greetland Academy Halifax
• Bowling Green Academy Halifax
• Colne Valley High School Huddersfield
• Nields Academy Huddersfield
• Marsden Junior School Huddersfield

What is Carlinghow Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Carlinghow Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Carlinghow Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Carlinghow Academy was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Carlinghow Academy have?

Carlinghow Academy has 304 pupils on roll.

What age range does Carlinghow Academy cover?

Carlinghow Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Carlinghow Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Carlinghow Academy?

Carlinghow Academy is at Ealand Road, Carlinghow, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 8HT.