New Mill Junior School

About New Mill Junior School

Parents considering New Mill Junior School will be reassured by its strong reputation, though the school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage. What is clear from the data is that demand is high: the school has 133 pupils against a capacity of 240, meaning it is roughly 55 per cent full, which in a state primary context suggests it is a popular choice within its catchment. The school is led by headteacher Evelyne Barrow and sits in Kirklees, Yorkshire. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, conducted in June 2024, awarded it the highest possible rating of Outstanding across all categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This marks a significant turnaround from its previous inspection in 2017, when the school was rated Requires Improvement. For families, that trajectory speaks to effective leadership and a clear focus on raising standards.

Academically, New Mill Junior School performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 64 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Kirklees local authority average of 60 per cent. The school also achieves strong results in individual subjects: 80 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, 78 per cent in writing, and 76 per cent in maths. At the higher standard, 16 per cent of pupils achieved the top marks across all three subjects. Average scaled scores were 106 in reading and 105 in maths, both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. Nationally, the school ranks in the top 50 per cent of all primary schools, and within Kirklees it sits 34th out of 94 schools, placing it in the upper tier of the local authority.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, dining hall, music rooms, gymnasium, playing fields, ICT suite, sports hall and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, gymnastics, netball, tennis and athletics, while extracurricular clubs include choir, gardening and film club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school identifies support for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and other disabilities. This is a co-educational state primary for ages 7 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form provision. It is not a boarding school and has no religious character. Given its strong Ofsted rating and above-average outcomes, New Mill Junior School is a particularly strong fit for families seeking a well-led, improving school with a broad range of activities and a clear focus on academic recovery.

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