Barkisland CofE VA Primary School, Halifax
Barkisland CofE VA Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Halifax. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 11th-highest of the 42 schools in Halifax with published results, and 3,885th of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Calderdale (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Barkisland CofE VA Primary School in detail
Barkisland CofE VA Primary School in its own words
Coming up: an open day on Friday 6 November 2026 at 2pm, an open day on Tuesday 10 November 2026 at 9.30am and an open day on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 9.30am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Calderdale
Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils at Barkisland CofE VA Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Calderdale and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 73% in reading and 83% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Barkisland CofE VA Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 22 families put Barkisland CofE VA Primary School as their first choice and 59 named it as one of their preferences, for 23 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Barkisland CofE VA Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Barkisland CofE VA Primary School are Ripponden Junior and Infant School (0.7 miles, Good, 79% reading, 79% maths); St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School (1.4 miles, Good, 92% reading, 83% maths); Bowling Green Academy (1.5 miles, Good, 92% reading, 83% maths); and Triangle CofE VC Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 85% reading, 76% maths).
Barkisland CofE VA Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Ripponden Junior and Infant SchoolSt Mary's CofE (VC) J and I SchoolBowling Green AcademyTriangle CofE VC Primary School
What parents say
138 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Barkisland CofE VA Primary School (as of September 2025): 68% would recommend the school, 69% say their child is happy there and 24% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (70%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (24%).
Who goes there
4.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 27 pupils (13.7%) received SEN support and 4 (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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sowerby Bridge Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
20 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Barkisland School (at), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Calderdale (102).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Barkisland CofE VA Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.5 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; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from November 2019, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Your child will be happy and safe at this welcoming school where behaviour is excellent and attendance is high. The school excels at teaching reading through quality phonics instruction and has developed a thoughtful curriculum where topics build logically on each other. Beyond academics, the school does an outstanding job helping children understand and respect different cultures, develop as responsible citizens, and take on real leadership roles.
Key Strengths
- High-quality phonics teaching with well-trained staff ensures all pupils, including those needing extra support, get off to a strong start in reading
- Well-developed subject curriculums with clear progression - topics carefully build on previous learning
- Exceptionally strong personal development offer woven throughout the school - pupils learn about different cultures, citizenship, and how to lead healthy, happy lives
- Strong early years provision with coherent approach to curriculum ensuring children are well-prepared for Year 1
- Plenty of leadership opportunities for pupils and excellent staff support around workload and wellbeing
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils with SEND do not have access to the right resources and activities to support their learning effectively - tasks do not always align with what these pupils need to learn
- Teaching of letter formation and handwriting is inconsistent across the school, and errors are not always corrected by teachers - some older pupils still struggle with these foundational skills
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with school leaders creating an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
film club, tag rugby, choir, science club
Barkisland CofE VA Primary School has maintained good standards since its last inspection in 2019. Pupils are happy, well-behaved, and have high attendance in this welcoming school with warm relationships across the community.
At a Glance
4.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
138 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 73% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 77% to 92% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.1
Avg class size
25.0
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
7
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Barkisland CofE VA Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Barkisland CofE VA Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Barkisland CofE VA Primary School is in Calderdale; for families living there:
Apply to Calderdale for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 8 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 Calderdale is 12 (the median across 114 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
Your chances of a place at Barkisland CofE VA Primary School
Will you get a place at Barkisland CofE VA Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Barkisland CofE VA Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Barkisland CofE VA Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Barkisland CofE VA Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Calderdale, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Barkisland CofE VA Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Calderdale 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
93%
Near capacity
195 pupils
210 places
15 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Halifax
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Halifax
Across Calderdale council
Places available
2,848
Applications
1,863
Got 1st preference
96.6%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across Calderdale council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(5)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
27
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
15.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
197
Total Pupils
99
Boys
98
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
21.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,498
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,972
Per pupil
£1041k
Total funding
£15k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.4%
Overall absence
4.1%
Persistent absence
170
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Barkisland CofE VA Primary School
What are SATs results like at Barkisland CofE VA Primary School?
Of the pupils at Barkisland CofE VA Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is Barkisland CofE VA Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Barkisland CofE VA Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Barkisland CofE VA Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Barkisland CofE VA Primary School is oversubscribed, Calderdale allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Barkisland CofE VA Primary School?
Barkisland CofE VA Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Barkisland CofE VA Primary School?
Classes at Barkisland CofE VA Primary School average 28.1 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Barkisland CofE VA Primary School?
Barkisland CofE VA Primary School has around 197 pupils on roll. 4% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Barkisland CofE VA Primary School?
3.4% of sessions were missed at Barkisland CofE VA Primary School in 2024/25. 4.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Barkisland CofE VA Primary School?
Apply through Calderdale's coordinated admissions process, naming Barkisland CofE VA Primary 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 Barkisland CofE VA Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 8 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 Calderdale is 12 (the median across 114 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Barkisland CofE VA Primary School?
Barkisland CofE VA Primary School is at Scammonden Road, Barkisland, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX4 0BD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)