King James's School
101%
Capacity
1,064
Pupils
1.6x
Demand
About King James's School
King James's School sits right on the national average for Progress 8 with a score of exactly 0, but that places it below the Kirklees local authority average of 0.07 for secondary schools. In a local ranking of 24 schools, it comes 16th, putting it in the bottom third of the area. The picture is more mixed when you look under the bonnet: pupils achieved a Progress 8 score of 0.2 in maths, which is above average, and 0.26 in the EBacc subjects, but English dragged things down with a score of -0.12. The school's Attainment 8 score of 46.8 and EBacc average point score of 4.39 give a sense of where pupils finish, though without the LA average for those metrics it's hard to say exactly how that compares locally. What's clear is that this is a school where results are solidly middle-of-the-road rather than standout.
In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2019, King James's was rated Good across the board, and a follow-up ungraded inspection in 2025 confirmed that standards were being maintained. The school's basics measure — the proportion of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs — came in at 50.7%, while 64.9% achieved a grade 4 or above. Just under 40% of pupils entered the EBacc, and 28.9% achieved it at grade 5 or above. The Parent View survey, based on 99 responses between September 2024 and September 2025, shows that 82% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 81% felt their child does well. However, only 52% agreed that SEND children get the support they need, with 39% disagreeing — a significant split that parents of children with additional needs will want to explore further.
The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 335 applications for 207 places, with 197 first-preference offers made. It caters for pupils aged 11 to 16 with no sixth form, and has a range of facilities including a theatre, sports hall, science labs and art studios. Sports on offer include swimming, netball, rugby and cricket, while clubs range from coding and debate to eco club and film club. The school lists SEND provisions for ten categories including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social and emotional mental health. With 27.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals — above the national average — this is a genuinely comprehensive intake. King James's will suit families looking for a solid, Good-rated local secondary that performs around the national average, particularly those whose children have strengths in maths and EBacc subjects rather than English.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | St Helen's Gate, Huddersfield, Kirklees, HD4 6SG |
| Headteacher | Ian Rimmer |
| Local Authority | Kirklees |
| Number of Pupils | 1,064 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 27.1% |
| School Capacity | 1,064 / 1,050 (101% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
12 Feb 2025Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (12 Feb 2025): Standards maintained
Source: Ofsted, 2 Dec 2019. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.00)
1530th of 3,141
Nationally
136th of 306
In Yorkshire and the Humber
16th of 24
In Kirklees
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/231%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 201 pupils).
- Sixth form college61%
- FE college23%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Employment3%
- Not sustained3%
- School sixth form (stay)1%
97% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Ofsted Parent View
99 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed207
335
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
197 families put this school as their 1st choice (59% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British71.8%
- Mixed9.2%
- Asian8.5%
- White (other)2.3%
- Black0.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
4
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
3
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About King James's School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
St Helen's Gate, Huddersfield
Kirklees, HD4 6SG
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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