Blackgates Primary Academy, Wakefield

Requires Improvement
Primary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Ages 211

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~765m)Possible (~1.1km)Unlikely (~1.4km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Julie Coulson
Pupils:233 / 445 capacity
LA:Leeds
Phone:01138878155
Address:Smithy Lane, Tingley, Wakefield, WF3 1QQ
Trust:LEODIS ACADEMIES TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 September 2018

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 23 April 2025View full report
URN:146102
UKPRN:10068333
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Leeds South West and Morley
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Blackgates is a happy, safe place where children thrive. The school is particularly strong at supporting pupils with additional needs and provides exciting enrichment experiences like annual seaside visits and local museum trips that broaden horizons. Your child will benefit from a caring, inclusive environment with high expectations for behaviour and learning, overseen by passionate leaders who value staff wellbeing.

Key Strengths

  • Strong inclusive culture with excellent support for pupils with SEND who achieve well
  • Well-designed curriculum with clear sequences of learning and regular checks on progress
  • Reading is prioritised throughout the school with effective phonics teaching and quick identification of struggling readers
  • Excellent early years provision where children get off to a great start in a vibrant, supportive environment
  • High expectations for behaviour and attitudes, with calm, sensible conduct throughout the school
  • Strong governance with committed trustees and investment in staff professional development

Areas for Improvement

  • Some pupils are given writing tasks that are too difficult before they have secured foundational skills
  • Errors in spelling and punctuation are not consistently addressed across the school
  • Some pupils do not develop early letter formation skills effectively when incorrect formation is not addressed promptly
  • Teachers sometimes move pupils on before their understanding is fully secure

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.

Extracurricular Activities

Annual seaside visits, visits to local museums and galleries, school council roles, sports leader roles, breakfast clubs, after-school club

Blackgates Primary Academy is a welcoming school where pupils enjoy attending and benefit from positive relationships with caring adults. The school has improved significantly since its previous inspection and now provides a broad, ambitious curriculum with good outcomes across all key areas.

At a Glance

46.0%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

41 responses
Would recommend85%
Child is happy88%
Well taught88%
Good progress88%
Feels safe85%
Well behaved83%
Bullying dealt with24%
Kept informed93%
Handles concerns71%
Wider development81%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+13ppMaths+11ppWriting-2pp

Reading has improved from 61% to 74%. Maths has improved from 57% to 68%. Writing has remained stable at around 65%.

Class Sizes

27.5

Avg class size

25.7

Infant (KS1)

29.5

KS2

8

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Blackgates School (at)
64m · 1 min walk
Blackgates Primary (opp)
135m · 2 min walk
Fairleigh Road (at)
192m · 3 min walk
Fairleigh Rd Fairleigh Crescent (stop)
215m · 3 min walk
Fenton Street (opp)
321m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

52%

Available places

233 pupils

445 capacity

212 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Wakefield

Medium pressure
New homes approved:2,988
Projected new pupils:747

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Wakefield

Admissions Demand - Leeds

Low demand0.81x oversubscription

Places available

10,239

Applications

8,283

Got 1st preference

93.1%

Got preferred school

99.3%

Primary admissions across Leeds (2025/26)

Inspection History(3)

23 April 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
18 January 2023
Requires ImprovementReport
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesRequires Improvement
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
19 September 2017
Inadequate
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.42296%

Overall absence

14.28571%

Persistent absence

175

Enrolments

Authorised3.27687%
Unauthorised2.14609%
Persistent (10%+)14.28571%
Severe (50%+)1.14286%

Absence trend

6.64975%
18/19
3.16569%
20/21
5.87798%
21/22
7.01399%
22/23
5.77685%
23/24
5.42296%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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