Denby Dale First and Nursery School, Huddersfield
Denby Dale First and Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 10 in Huddersfield. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. It was 57% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kirklees (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Denby Dale First and Nursery School in detail
Denby Dale First and Nursery School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I’m proud to lead this wonderful school, where we nurture the whole child through an engaging curriculum and a deep commitment to well-being. From the very start of each week, we prioritise personal, social, and emotional development with PSHE lessons and themed assemblies. Our weekly outdoor learning sessions, set in our beautiful grounds, help build teamwork, resilience, and confidence."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Denby Dale First and Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 18 families put Denby Dale First and Nursery School as their first choice and 44 named it as one of their preferences, for 19 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 Denby Dale First and Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Denby Dale First and Nursery School are St Aidan's Church of England Academy (0.7 miles, Good); Skelmanthorpe Academy (0.9 miles, Good); Denby Church of England Voluntary Aided First School (1.3 miles, Good); and Scissett Church of England Academy (1.4 miles, Outstanding).
St Aidan's Church of England AcademySkelmanthorpe AcademyDenby Church of England Voluntary Aided First SchoolScissett Church of England Academy
Who goes there
8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 30 pupils (26.8%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Denby Dale Station, about 1050 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rockwood Rise (at), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Denby Dale First and Nursery School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 23 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 Kirklees (153).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Denby Dale First and Nursery School issued 1 suspension, 1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Denby Dale First and Nursery School are Shelley College, A Share Academy (1.1 miles); and Scissett Middle School (1.3 miles).
Sources: 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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Denby Dale is a warm, welcoming school where children feel safe and happy. Staff are highly ambitious for every child, including those with additional needs, and use creative teaching methods like educational visits to bring learning to life. Reading is a real priority with expert phonics teaching that helps all children become confident, fluent readers.
Key Strengths
- Excellent teaching of phonics and reading, with swift support for pupils who fall behind -
- Strong behaviour management with consistent routines and very respectful relationships between pupils and staff -
- Well-developed curriculum that helps pupils revisit and remember learning over time -
- Inclusive approach where pupils with SEND thrive with appropriate adaptations and are fully included -
- Children make a strong start in early years with calm, friendly staff who develop speech, vocabulary and early maths skills
Areas for Improvement
- Not all subjects are equally well planned in terms of key knowledge and skills pupils need to learn -
- Limited opportunities for pupils to debate issues and ideas, which means many pupils lack debating skills
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong safeguarding culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Outdoor learning, educational trips, story times, yoga, clubs, eco-councillor roles, visitor experiences, fundraising for charities, access to school reading dog (Baxter)
Denby Dale First and Nursery School is a nurturing school where leaders have high expectations of pupils and have worked diligently to develop the curriculum. The school has improved significantly since its previous inspection and now provides a wide range of subjects with strong support for all learners.
At a Glance
8.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
21.5
Avg class size
20.7
Infant (KS1)
24.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Denby Dale First and Nursery School
Term dates
Denby Dale First and Nursery School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Kirklees. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 21 February to Friday 25 February 2028)
- Summer term: Monday 24 April to Tuesday 25 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Denby Dale First and Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Denby Dale First and Nursery School is in Kirklees; for families living there:
- Kirklees's school travel policy: School transport
- How to apply: Apply for school travel support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Kirklees is 12 (the median across 203 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 Denby Dale First and Nursery School
Will you get a place at Denby Dale First and Nursery School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Denby Dale First and Nursery School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Denby Dale First and Nursery School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Denby Dale First and Nursery School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kirklees, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Denby Dale First and Nursery School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Kirklees 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
57%
Available places
102 pupils
180 places
78 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Huddersfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Huddersfield
Across Kirklees council
Places available
5,437
Applications
4,554
Got 1st preference
93.8%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Kirklees council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
26.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
112
Total Pupils
56
Boys
56
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
18.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,587
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,288
Per pupil
£692k
Total funding
£18k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
8.2%
Persistent absence
85
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Denby Dale First and Nursery School
Questions parents ask about Denby Dale First and Nursery School
What is Denby Dale First and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Denby Dale First and Nursery School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Denby Dale First and Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Denby Dale First and Nursery School is oversubscribed, Kirklees allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Denby Dale First and Nursery School?
Denby Dale First and Nursery School was not full in 2025: it ran at 57% of its 180 places.
How big are the classes at Denby Dale First and Nursery School?
Classes at Denby Dale First and Nursery School average 21.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Denby Dale First and Nursery School?
Denby Dale First and Nursery School has around 112 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Denby Dale First and Nursery School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at Denby Dale First and Nursery School in 2024/25. 8.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Denby Dale First and Nursery School?
Apply through Kirklees's coordinated admissions process, naming Denby Dale First and Nursery 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.
What are Denby Dale First and Nursery School's term dates?
Denby Dale First and Nursery School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Kirklees. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 21 February to Friday 25 February 2028); Summer term: Monday 24 April to Tuesday 25 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Denby Dale First and Nursery School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Kirklees is 12 (the median across 203 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Denby Dale First and Nursery School?
Denby Dale First and Nursery School is at Gilthwaites Lane, Denby Dale, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD8 8SG.
Sources: Kirklees term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)