Classpot

The Vale Primary Academy

Wakefield, WF11 8JFPrimaryAges 3–11MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
5 Good
Dec 2024
KS2 Results
74%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
0.9×
Not oversubscribed
27 1st-choice / 30 places
Ranking
🏆Top 25%
#2995 of 13,686 nationally

About The Vale Primary Academy

The Vale Primary Academy in Wakefield received an Outstanding rating across every category in its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2024, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, early years provision, and leadership and management. This is a significant achievement, particularly given that the school had also been judged Outstanding in its previous inspection in 2013. The most telling exam metric comes from the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results: 74% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits ten percentage points above the Wakefield local authority average of 64%, placing the school 24th out of 97 primary schools in the area and comfortably within the top 25% nationally. For a relatively small school with 218 pupils on roll, these outcomes suggest consistent, high-quality teaching that delivers results above the local norm.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range3 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressFerrybridge Road, Knottingley, Wakefield, WF11 8JF
HeadteacherSally Cartwright
Local AuthorityWakefield
Number of Pupils218
Free School Meals (FSM)22.4%
School Capacity218 / 236 (92% full)
Nursery ClassesYes

The full report on this school

What 82 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
See an example
One-off paymentNo subscriptionStripe checkout

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

3 Dec 2024
View Report
Quality of Education
Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitudes
Outstanding
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Outstanding
Early Years Provision
Outstanding

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.

Source: Ofsted, 16 Jan 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

9
Dining HallPlaying FieldsSports HallLibraryMusic RoomsGymnasiumForest SchoolArt StudiosChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

9

Sports

CricketSwimmingRoundersDance

Clubs & Activities

GardeningChessFilm ClubScience ClubChoir

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguagePhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About The Vale Primary Academy

The Vale Primary Academy has been rated "Outstanding" by Ofsted. This means the school provides an exceptional quality of education, and pupils thrive both academically and personally.