Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School, Pontefract
Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Pontefract. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 33 schools in Pontefract with published results, and 474th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Wakefield (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School in detail
Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School in its own words
In its own words: "Providing opportunities for growth in mind, body and spirit through inspirational and innovative education underpinned by a deeply Christian ethos."
From the headteacher's welcome: "I love working in this school! Something really quite special exists in the ether and you can’t help but be swept up in it. The core purpose of our vision is to provide opportunities for growth in mind, body and spirit to ensure the holistic development of all who work and learn here."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School reached the expected standard in reading and 97% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Wakefield and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 93% in reading and 87% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School as their first choice and 71 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School are Ackworth Mill Dam School (0.7 miles, Good, 76% reading, 72% maths); Outwood Primary Academy Bell Lane (1 mile, Good, 88% reading, 85% maths); Badsworth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School (1.7 miles, Good, 83% reading, 90% maths); and Featherstone Purston Infant School (2.1 miles, Good).
Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Ackworth Mill Dam SchoolOutwood Primary Academy Bell LaneBadsworth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant SchoolFeatherstone Purston Infant School
Who goes there
2.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 14 pupils (6.1%) received SEN support and 5 (2.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Featherstone Rail Station, about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Orchards, 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 19 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Wakefield (130).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School issued 2 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
2.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 93% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 87% to 97% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.1
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
29.5
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School
Ackworth Schools Harvest Celebration
2 Oct 2026
Howard Heritage Week - Imagining the Future
25 Sep 2026
£1,000 Raised at Our Macmillan Coffee Morning
18 Sep 2026
Celebrating Our Wonderful Year 6 - Class of 2026
22 Jul 2026
From Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School is in Wakefield; for families living there:
- Wakefield's school travel policy: Home To School Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Will you get a place at Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wakefield, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Wakefield got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
206 pupils
210 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Pontefract
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Pontefract
Across Wakefield council
Places available
4,391
Applications
3,654
Got 1st preference
94.4%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Wakefield council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
8.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
229
Total Pupils
104
Boys
125
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
20.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,307
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,052
Per pupil
£1093k
Total funding
£12k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
3.9%
Persistent absence
180
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School
What are SATs results like at Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School?
Of the pupils at Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% reached the expected standard in reading and 97% did so in maths.
What is Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2020 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School is oversubscribed, Wakefield allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School?
Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School?
Classes at Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School average 28.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School?
Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School has around 229 pupils on roll. 2% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School in 2024/25. 3.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School?
Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School is at Station Road, Low Ackworth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF7 7HH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)