Meltham CofE (VC) Primary School

About Meltham CofE (VC) Primary School

Meltham CofE (VC) Primary School is a state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 4 to 11, located in the Kirklees local authority. With 406 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, the school is running very close to full, and the demand is clear: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 90 applications for just 36 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.5 to one. Of those, 34 were first-preference applications, and 34 first-preference offers were made, meaning almost every family who put it first got a place, but competition for the remaining spots is stiff. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 9.1%, which is notably lower than the national primary average of around 23%, suggesting a relatively less disadvantaged intake compared with many schools nationally. The school has a Church of England religious character, and its headteacher is Phil Gibbins.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, a graded visit in 2012, rated it Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good. A subsequent ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed the school remains Good. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 58% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is just below the Kirklees local authority average of 60%. The school ranks 56th out of 94 primary schools in Kirklees on this metric, placing it in the bottom half of the LA. Looking at individual subjects, 75% met the expected standard in reading and maths, and 77% in writing. At the higher standard, 32% achieved it in reading, 33% in maths, but only 5% in both writing and the combined RWM measure. Average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 106 in maths, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including an ICT suite, art studios, a forest school, music rooms, a sensory room, a gymnasium and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, gymnastics, football and cricket, while clubs include coding, gardening, drama, eco club and science club. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate and profound multiple learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. There is no nursery or sixth form. This is a popular, oversubscribed Church of England primary that suits families who value a faith-based setting and a wide range of enrichment activities, but who should be aware that academic outcomes sit around the local average rather than at the top of the Kirklees rankings.

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