Norristhorpe Junior and Infant School

About Norristhorpe Junior and Infant School

Norristhorpe Junior and Infant School sits within the Kirklees local authority, a large area with 144 primary schools. Among them, it ranks 14th out of 94 schools when measured by the percentage of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2, placing it comfortably in the top quarter of its local authority. The three highest-ranked peers in Kirklees are Carlton Junior and Infant School, Netherthong Primary School, and St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior, Infant and Early Years School, all of which score higher on the same metric. Norristhorpe is a mixed, non-religious state primary for children aged 4 to 11, with a current roll of 423 pupils — slightly over its official capacity of 419. The school is led by headteacher Claire Lyles and, in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, was rated Good overall, with Outstanding marks for personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management.

Academically, Norristhorpe performs well above the local average. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 76% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Kirklees average of 60%. The school’s ranking score of 76 places it in the top 25% nationally, and 231st out of 1,506 primary schools in Yorkshire and the Humber. In individual subjects, 91% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, 86% in maths, and 79% in writing. Higher-standard attainment was strongest in reading, where 38% of pupils scored at the higher level, and in maths, where 34% did so. Average scaled scores were 107 in reading and 106 in maths. The school has held a Good rating across both its recent inspections, though the 2024 inspection noted improvements in behaviour and leadership, which were previously not graded but are now rated Outstanding.

The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a sports hall, ICT suite, music rooms, forest school area, outdoor playground, and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, athletics, cross country and tennis, while clubs range from chess and science club to choir and film club. Norristhorpe is well equipped for SEND support, with provisions covering autistic spectrum disorder, speech, language and communication needs, social, emotional and mental health, specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, and visual impairment. The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 128 applications for 58 places, with 60 first-preference applications and 53 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.21. This suggests strong local demand. Families considering Norristhorpe should note that the nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Crowlees Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School, 2.8 km away.

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