Norland CE School

About Norland CE School

Norland CE School holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained consistently across its two most recent inspections. The most telling academic metric for this small Calderdale primary is its Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths expected standard score. In the 2023/24 academic year, 63% of pupils reached that benchmark, which sits above the Calderdale local authority average of 59%. That places the school 31st out of 73 primaries in the borough, putting it in the top half of local schools. The school’s reading scores are particularly strong: the average reading score was 107, and 38% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, compared with just 6% in maths and writing. With only 63 pupils on roll against a capacity of 105, Norland is a genuinely small school where individual progress is easier to track, and the data suggests reading is a clear area of strength.

Looking more closely at the breakdown, the Ofsted inspection in March 2022 awarded Good marks across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The previous inspection in 2011 had also rated overall effectiveness as Good, though early years provision was graded as Requires Improvement at that time, so the 2022 result represents a clear improvement in that area. In writing, 88% of pupils met the expected standard, which is notably higher than the 69% who did so in reading and maths. However, the proportion reaching the higher standard in writing was just 6%, matching maths. The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available in the data, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points, but the attainment picture is one of solid, above-average performance in a local context.

Norland CE School is a Church of England primary with a strong set of facilities for its size, including a forest school, sensory room, chapel, and art studios. It offers a range of clubs from coding and eco club to drama and choir, and pupils can play tennis, netball, football, rounders and take part in cross country. The school has identified SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and social and emotional mental health. It was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 30 applications for 9 places and 8 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.33. This suggests strong local demand, particularly from families who value a small, church-affiliated setting with a focus on reading and a calm, well-behaved environment as noted by Ofsted. It will suit parents looking for a community-focused primary where their child is known individually and where academic basics, especially literacy, are prioritised.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Norland CE School

Helpful Guides for Parents