King James's School, Huddersfield
King James's School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Huddersfield. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 6th-highest of the 10 schools in Huddersfield with published results, and 2,128th of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Kirklees (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
King James's School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at King James's School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Kirklees and 47 across England.
37% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Kirklees and 47% in England.
That is down from 48.5 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0: pupils made about average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 32.7, against 48.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were History, Chemistry and Physics.
Getting a place at King James's School
For September 2026 entry, 220 families put King James's School as their first choice and 367 named it as one of their preferences, for 206 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 14 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to King James's School are Netherhall Learning Campus High School (1.9 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 36.7); Newsome Academy (1.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.9); Kirkburton Middle School (2.1 miles, Good); and Honley High School (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 54.8).
King James's School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Netherhall Learning Campus High SchoolNewsome AcademyKirkburton Middle SchoolHonley High School
What parents say
99 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about King James's School (as of September 2025): 73% would recommend the school, 83% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (83%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 211 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 81% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 29% to a further education college, 11% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Who goes there
8.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (71%), Mixed (10%) and Asian (8%).
In 2026, 145 pupils (13.7%) received SEN support and 23 (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 Honley Rail Station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is King James High School Grounds, 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, King James's School issued 176 suspensions, 16.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to King James's School are All Hallows' CofE (VA) Primary School (0.4 miles), Hill View Academy (0.8 miles), Lowerhouses CofE Primary School (1 mile) and Lepton CofE Primary Academy (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
All Hallows' CofE (VA) Primary SchoolHill View AcademyLowerhouses CofE Primary SchoolLepton CofE Primary Academy
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 destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
King James's School creates a happy, supportive environment where pupils feel confident to seek help from trusted adults. Teachers make lessons engaging and calm, with a fair behaviour policy that pupils respect. The school has strong focus on supporting all learners, including those with additional needs and disadvantaged pupils, ensuring they access high-quality teaching.
Key Strengths
- Strong support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged learners through targeted initiatives like '3S' and 'Focus 5'
- Reading is a priority with frequent lessons and effective staff training - many pupils become confident, fluent readers
- Positive relationships between staff and pupils, with a zero-tolerance approach to bullying
- High-quality curriculum with ambitious 'golden knowledge' identified for all pupils
- Strong careers guidance and personal development programme, especially for pupils in Year 10-11
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils struggle to explain how new learning links to previous learning, limiting their ability to make connections across subjects
- Impact of new strategies and initiatives has not been consistently evaluated, making it unclear if they are working well for all pupils
- Persistent absence remains higher for disadvantaged pupils compared to their peers, despite improvement efforts
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Extra-curricular activities, careers guidance, personal development programme
King James's School has maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. The school has high expectations for pupil behaviour, attendance and academic outcomes, which are being realised.
At a Glance
29.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
99 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.12 to 0.00 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 48.2 to 43.3 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 52% to 37% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 43.3 | 37% |
| Disadvantaged(68) | - | 32.7 | 17.6% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(140) | - | 48.5 | 46.4% |
| Boys(118) | - | 43.1 | 37.3% |
| Girls(90) | - | 43.6 | 36.7% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(20) | - | 47.3 | 40% |
| Non mobile(200) | - | 44.0 | 38% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 211 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.19%
Exclusion rate
176
Suspensions
16.54%
Suspension rate
59 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,064 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with King James's School
Term dates
King James's School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Kirklees's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to King James's School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. King James's 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 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 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 King James's School
Will you get a place at King James's School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against King James's School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for King James's School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to King James's School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kirklees, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at King James's 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
101%
Over capacity
1,063 pupils
1,050 places
13 pupils over capacity 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
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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(5)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
145
SEN Support
23
EHC Plans
15.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,055
Total Pupils
544
Boys
511
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
61
Teachers
17.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,354
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,844
Per pupil
£7745k
Total funding
£299k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.2%
Overall absence
18.4%
Persistent absence
1,084
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
King James's School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about King James's School
What are GCSE results like at King James's School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at King James's School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 43.3. 37% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is King James's School's Ofsted rating?
King James's School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 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 King James's School?
No fixed boundary. When King James's 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 King James's School?
King James's School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at King James's School?
Classes at King James's School average 23.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to King James's School?
King James's School has around 1055 pupils on roll. 29% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at King James's School?
7.2% of sessions were missed at King James's School in 2024/25. 18.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to King James's School?
Apply through Kirklees's coordinated admissions process, naming King James's School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near King James's School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 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 Kirklees is 12 (the median across 203 schools, same distance and years).
Where is King James's School?
King James's School is at St Helen's Gate, Almondbury, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD4 6SG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)