St Augustine's CofE School

St Augustine’s CofE School is a warm, caring and inclusive primary school that pupils and families value. Inspectors found strong provision across the inspected areas, with high ambitions, a well-designed curriculum, positive behaviour and a strong focus on personal development and safeguarding. Leaders, governors and the Learning Accord Multi Academy Trust have driven rapid and sustained improvement since the school became an academy. Notable strengths include reading and phonics, precise support for pupils with SEND, and a curriculum that helps pupils build and recall knowledge. Pupils are respectful, confident and proud of their work, and they benefit from a wide range of enrichment and community opportunities. The early years provision gives children an effective start and prepares them well for key stage 1. The main concerns are persistent absence, which remains too high for some pupils, inconsistent opportunities for mathematical reasoning and problem-solving, and early years continuous provision that does not consistently build the essential vocabulary needed by children at the earliest stages of language development. Outcomes for pupils who join later in key stage 2 also remain low because of significant prior gaps. This was the school’s first section 5 inspection and first routine inspection since the pandemic; under the current framework, no overall effectiveness grade was awarded.

Strengths

• Warm, caring and inclusive school culture where pupils feel safe and respected
• High ambitions for pupils’ achievement supported by a precise, well-considered curriculum
• Effective teaching helps pupils build and recall knowledge from Reception to Year 6
• Strong phonics and reading provision with well-trained staff and targeted support
• Precise identification and effective support for pupils with SEND
• Pupils behave well, are confident and independent, and take pride in their work
• Personal development and care for pupils and families are central, with strong safety, diversity and enrichment provision
• Early years provides well-considered learning and prepares children for key stage 1
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Leaders, governors and the trust have secured rapid and sustained improvement since the school became an academy

Areas for Improvement

• Persistent absence remains high, limiting some pupils’ access to learning
• Mathematics activities do not consistently develop reasoning and problem-solving
• Early years continuous provision does not focus enough on essential vocabulary for children at very early language stages
• Outcomes for pupils joining later in key stage 2 remain low due to significant prior gaps

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 St Augustine's CofE School attended 91.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 32.2% 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, 0.6% of pupils at St Augustine's CofE 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 St Augustine's CofE School had 21.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.1% 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, 10.3% of pupils at St Augustine's CofE School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.7% 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 St Augustine's CofE School received £9,030 and spent £9,167 for each of its 158 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £158,000 (£998 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 Halifax · Calderdale local authority: places and applications

St Augustine's CofE School is part of Learning Accord Multi Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Luddenden CofE School Halifax
• Lindley Church of England Infant School Huddersfield
• Hebden Royd CofE Primary School Hebden Bridge
• St Thomas CE Primary School Huddersfield
• Hightown Primary School Liversedge
• Roberttown CofE Primary School Liversedge
• Lowerhouses CofE Primary School Huddersfield
• Helme Church of England Academy Holmfirth
• St John’s CE Primary School Dewsbury
• New Mill Infant School Holmfirth

What is St Augustine's CofE School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Augustine's CofE School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was St Augustine's CofE School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Augustine's CofE School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does St Augustine's CofE School have?

St Augustine's CofE School has 156 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Augustine's CofE School cover?

St Augustine's CofE School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Augustine's CofE School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 36% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Augustine's CofE School?

St Augustine's CofE School is at Hanson Lane, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 5PG.