Abbey Park Academy

About Abbey Park Academy

Abbey Park Academy, a state primary in Calderdale, has been rated Good by Ofsted following its most recent graded inspection in 2017, a rating confirmed by an ungraded visit in 2022. The school’s academic story is best told through its Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year, where 77% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure is a significant 18 percentage points above the Calderdale local authority average of 59%, placing the school 7th out of 73 primaries in the area and within the top 25% nationally. This strong performance is a clear improvement from the school’s previous Ofsted rating of Requires Improvement in 2015, suggesting that leadership under headteacher Natasha Searby has driven real academic progress.

Digging into the detail, Abbey Park’s pupils scored an average of 105 in maths and 104 in reading, both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. The proportion reaching the higher standard in maths was 27%, though the combined higher standard across all three subjects was 13%. Writing saw 80% of pupils reach the expected level, with 17% hitting the higher standard. The school’s ranking score of 77, based on the combined expected standard metric, places it well ahead of the Calderdale average and among the top-performing schools in the borough, though it sits behind local peers like St Mary’s CofE and All Saints’ CofE. With no progress scores available, it is hard to gauge how much value the school adds for individual pupils, but the raw attainment figures are strong for a school where 45.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average.

The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 47 applications for 29 places and 32 first-preference requests, giving a ratio of 1.62 applicants per place. It offers a nursery provision for children aged three and above, and its facilities include a sensory room, forest school, music rooms, art studios and a chapel. The SEND provision is broad, covering autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, visual impairment and social, emotional and mental health support. Sports include swimming, tennis and athletics, while clubs range from coding to gardening and film club. Abbey Park suits families who want a well-resourced primary with strong academic outcomes in a supportive setting, particularly those whose children may benefit from the school’s extensive SEND support and its focus on creative and outdoor learning.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Abbey Park Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents