Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School

About Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School

Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School has turned a corner. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, the school was rated Good overall, a clear step up from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2020. The inspection report highlights real strengths: behaviour and attitudes, as well as personal development, were both judged Outstanding. Leadership and management, the quality of education, and early years provision all received a Good rating. The most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. At 73%, this is comfortably above the Wakefield local authority average of 64%. That places the school in the top 25% of primary schools nationally for this measure, and 27th out of 97 primary schools in the local authority.

Digging into the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the school’s performance is strongest in reading, where 93% of pupils met the expected standard and 40% reached the higher standard. In maths, 87% met the expected standard and 23% achieved the higher mark, with an average scaled score of 105. Writing is a relative weak spot: 80% met the expected standard and only 10% reached the higher standard. The combined reading, writing and maths higher standard figure sits at 7%. There are no progress scores available for reading, writing or maths, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. Still, the headline figures are solid. The school ranks 26th out of 113 primary schools in Wakefield, and sits 3.5 km from the nearest Outstanding-rated school, Larks Hill Junior and Infant School.

The school is oversubscribed: for 30 places in the 2025/26 reception intake, there were 90 total applications, with 35 listing it as first preference. That is a ratio of three applications per place. Ackworth Howard has a Church of England character and is led by headteacher Michael Walker. It has nursery provision for three-year-olds and runs a wide range of clubs including drama, choir, chess, eco club, film club and gardening. Facilities include a library, playing fields, gymnasium, sports hall, ICT suite, music rooms, art studios and a chapel. The school offers SEND support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, and other difficulties or disabilities. With a low free school meals rate of 3.6%, the intake is less disadvantaged than many local schools. It is a good fit for families who want a well-regarded village primary with strong academic outcomes and a clear Christian ethos.

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