Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School
119%
Capacity
215
Pupils
2.0x
Demand
About Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School
Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School is a state primary for children aged 3 to 7 in Kirklees, and it is noticeably oversubscribed. The school has 215 pupils on roll against a capacity of 180, meaning it is operating well above its intended size. For the 2025/26 reception intake, there were 107 applications for 54 places, with 53 of those coming as first preferences and 53 first-preference offers made — a ratio of nearly two applicants per place. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 18.8 per cent, which is above the national average for primary schools and suggests the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. Despite this demand, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 rated it Requires Improvement overall, a drop from its previous Good rating in 2012. The headteacher is Amanda Pickup.
The 2024 Ofsted report gives a mixed picture. While the overall effectiveness is Requires Improvement, several individual areas were judged Good: early years provision, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes. The quality of education and leadership and management were both rated Requires Improvement. This means that while the school is struggling with curriculum delivery and leadership direction, the early years foundation stage and the way children behave and develop personally are strengths. The school does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results because it only goes up to age 7, so there are no comparable attainment data against the Kirklees local authority average of 60 per cent reaching the expected standard. The previous inspection in 2012 had rated both leadership and management and overall effectiveness as Good, so the 2024 downgrade represents a significant shift.
The school offers a range of facilities including a sensory room, music rooms, an ICT suite, a sports hall, playing fields, and an outdoor playground. Sports on offer include athletics, football, rounders, tennis, and cricket, and clubs range from choir and eco club to coding, gardening, and book club. SEND provisions are in place for moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, visual impairment, and other difficulties or disabilities. The school has nursery provision and a chapel on site. Given the oversubscription and the Requires Improvement rating, this school will suit families who value the strong early years and behaviour record and are comfortable with a school that is actively working on improving its curriculum and leadership. It is not a school for those seeking top Ofsted grades, but the demand suggests local parents see something worth pursuing.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 3 to 7 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Leeds Road, Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School, Dewsbury, Kirklees, WF12 7HP |
| Headteacher | Amanda Pickup |
| Local Authority | Kirklees |
| Number of Pupils | 215 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 18.8% |
| School Capacity | 215 / 180 (119% full) |
| Nursery Classes | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
9 Apr 2024Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 14 May 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
10Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed54
107
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
53 families put this school as their 1st choice (50% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
09:00 – 15:30
Breakfast club
07:45-08:50
Source: shawcrossinfants.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
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
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British66.0%
- Asian26.5%
- Mixed4.2%
- White (other)0.5%
- Black0.5%
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
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this 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.
7
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
6
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Leeds Road, Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School, Dewsbury
Kirklees, WF12 7HP
Leeds Road, Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School, Dewsbury
Kirklees, WF12 7HP
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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