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Halfpenny Lane Junior Infant and Nursery School

Wakefield, WF8 4BWPrimaryAges 3–11MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
5 Good
May 2025
KS2 Results
88%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
0.8×
Not oversubscribed
37 1st-choice / 49 places
Ranking
🏆Top 5%
#473 of 13,686 nationally

About Halfpenny Lane Junior Infant and Nursery School

Halfpenny Lane Junior Infant and Nursery School in Wakefield has just received its first ever Outstanding rating from Ofsted, following a graded inspection in May 2025. The school was previously rated Good in 2019, and the new report marks a clear step up across the board. Inspectors judged every assessable category as Outstanding, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. The school’s leadership and management were also rated Outstanding. This is no small achievement in a local authority where only 16 out of 113 primary schools hold the top grade. The most telling exam metric comes from Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year: 88% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the Wakefield local authority average of 64%. That places Halfpenny Lane 8th out of 97 primary schools in the area, putting it comfortably in the top 10% locally.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range3 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressHalfpenny Lane, Pontefract, Wakefield, WF8 4BW
HeadteacherIan Shuttleworth
Local AuthorityWakefield
Number of Pupils437
Free School Meals (FSM)25.0%
School Capacity437 / 420 (104% full)
Nursery ClassesYes

The full report on this school

What 74 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

20 May 2025
View Report
Quality of Education
Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitudes
Outstanding
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Outstanding
Early Years Provision
Outstanding

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.

Source: Ofsted, 26 Jun 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

5
Sports HallForest SchoolOutdoor PlaygroundSensory RoomChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

9

Sports

CricketNetballRoundersAthleticsGymnasticsCross Country

Clubs & Activities

Book ClubDramaEco Club

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingPhysicalLearning DifficultyMulti-Sensory

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Halfpenny Lane Junior Infant and Nursery School

Halfpenny Lane Junior Infant and Nursery School has been rated "Outstanding" by Ofsted. This means the school provides an exceptional quality of education, and pupils thrive both academically and personally.