Fairfield School, Batley
Fairfield School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Batley. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, ended in a report card: 8 strong standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in March 2013.
- Ofsted report card
- 8 of 8 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Fairfield School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 23 June 2026 inspection grades Fairfield School on 8 areas: 8 strong standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils secure the important knowledge in language and communication that they need to be successful."
Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders monitor attendance very carefully."
Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders are highly ambitious for pupils."
Early years - Strong standard. "Children have a very positive start to their education at Fairfield."
Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders and staff have very high expectations for all pupils."
Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders are passionate and committed to the success of all in their care."
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have ensured that pupils' social and emotional learning is deeply integrated into their experience each day in school."
Post-16 provision - Strong standard. "Students thrive as they follow bespoke programmes of study built on their prior learning and tailored to their talents and interests."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure continued refinement to their curriculum implementation to secure a transformational impact on all pupils".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Fairfield School are Becker School (0.7 miles, Good); Hollybank School (2.7 miles, Outstanding); Ravenshall School (3.3 miles, Outstanding); and Highfield School (3.7 miles, Good).
Becker SchoolHollybank SchoolRavenshall SchoolHighfield School
Where pupils go next
Of the 10 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
36% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 50.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (54%), White British (33%) and Mixed (7%).
Almost every pupil at Fairfield School has an education, health and care plan (139 of 139 in 2026). The most common need among them is a profound and multiple learning difficulty.
Fairfield School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Batley Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Fairfield School (at), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 230 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kirklees (153), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Fairfield School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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 · 4 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- AchievementStrong standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
- Early yearsStrong standard
- InclusionStrong standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Post-16 provisionStrong standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Fairfield School
Pupils have a true sense of belonging at Fairfield. They enjoy arriving at school and entering into a learning environment of caring, ambition and aspiration. Staff build excellent relationships with pupils. Pupils know that staff are there to help them whenever they need it. Pupils appreciate this greatly. Staff support them expertly to understand themselves and the world around them. Staff have very high expectations of what pupils can do and what they could achieve in the future. Pupils arrive with complex barriers linked to communication needs and health conditions. Where barriers can be addressed by the school and regular attendance is achievable, pupils attend very well. Staff work effectively with families and other agencies to support pupils to attend more regularly, which very often results in significant improvements. Pupils take part in a wide range of experiences beyond lessons, including music, sport, trips and visits to places in the community. These experiences help pupils to build their confidence, friendships and independence. Pupils behave well and greatly enjoy their learning. When they struggle, pupils are helped to understand themselves and communicate their needs. Students in the post-16 provision are a brilliant example of kindness reflecting the time invested by leaders and staff. Students contribute greatly to the culture of togetherness in school. They help around school, supporting younger pupils and working alongside staff to enhance the environment. Pupils throughout school, achieve very highly through the dedicated work of leaders and staff. Pupils' needs, talents and interests are thoroughly understood by staff. Pupils, including the school council members, know that their voice is important. Overall, pupils thrive in all aspects of their development. Their great progress is secured through fruitful experiences in and out of school. As a result, they are very well prepared when it comes to moving onto the next stage of education or employment.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure continued refinement to their curriculum implementation to secure a transformational impact on all pupils.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 23 June 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Fairfield School excels at helping all pupils thrive, regardless of their starting points. Staff combine excellent subject knowledge with deep understanding of special educational needs, creating a warm, inclusive environment where every child is well-known and valued. The school offers a rich range of learning experiences including vocational programmes, outdoor activities, and trips that broaden pupils' horizons and prepare them effectively for their next stage of education or adult life.
Key Strengths
- Pupils make superb progress from their starting points, with consistent success in early reading, mathematics and writing
- Staff demonstrate exceptional understanding of behaviour as communication and build strong relationships that help pupils regulate emotions
- Highly ambitious, tailored curriculum with vocational programmes carefully matched to individual pupil needs and aspirations
- Leaders and staff are resolute in removing barriers to learning and participation for all pupils, particularly those with additional vulnerabilities
- Excellent attendance support for pupils with significant health needs, with leaders working effectively with families and external agencies
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Outdoor spaces, singing sessions, boxing sessions, beach trips, residential trips, World Religion Day, Careers Week, assemblies
Fairfield School is a special educational needs school that has been rated as meeting strong standards across all areas. The school demonstrates exceptional commitment to pupil achievement, wellbeing, and inclusion, with leaders holding high expectations for all students.
At a Glance
36.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Vision, Hearing, Speech and language +6
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Fairfield School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Fairfield School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Fairfield 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)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 5 serious and 5 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
4 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 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
112%
Over capacity
139 pupils
124 places
15 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Batley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Batley
Across Kirklees council
Places available
4,930
Applications
4,787
Got 1st preference
89.2%
Got preferred school
97.8%
All secondary applications across Kirklees council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
139
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Fairfield School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
139
Total Pupils
79
Boys
60
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
6.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,444
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
14.8%
Overall absence
46.9%
Persistent absence
96
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Fairfield School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Fairfield School
What are SATs results like at Fairfield School?
Of the pupils at Fairfield School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Fairfield School's Ofsted rating?
Fairfield School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Fairfield School?
No fixed boundary. When Fairfield School is oversubscribed, Kirklees allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Fairfield School?
Fairfield School has around 139 pupils on roll. 36% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Fairfield School have specialist SEN provision?
Fairfield School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Fairfield School?
14.8% of sessions were missed at Fairfield School in 2024/25. 46.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Fairfield School?
Apply through Kirklees's coordinated admissions process, naming Fairfield School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Fairfield School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 5 serious and 5 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 4 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 Kirklees is 12 (the median across 203 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Fairfield School?
Fairfield School is at White Lee Road, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 8AS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)