Shelf Junior and Infant School, Halifax
Shelf Junior and Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Halifax. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 34th-highest of the 42 schools in Halifax with published results, and 11,173rd of 14,452 across England. It was 72% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- 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 Calderdale (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Shelf Junior and Infant School in detail
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at Shelf Junior and Infant School reached the expected standard in reading and 66% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Calderdale and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 76% in reading and 52% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Shelf Junior and Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put Shelf Junior and Infant School as their first choice and 71 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 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 Shelf Junior and Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Shelf Junior and Infant School are St Michael and All Angels CofE Primary & Pre School (0.6 miles, Good, 80% reading, 84% maths); Northowram Primary School (0.8 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 78% maths); Home Farm Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 75% reading, 72% maths); and Salterlee Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 67% reading, 67% maths).
Shelf Junior and Infant School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St Michael and All Angels CofE Primary & Pre SchoolNorthowram Primary SchoolHome Farm Primary SchoolSalterlee Primary School
What parents say
27 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Shelf Junior and Infant School (as of September 2025): 82% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
12.7% 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.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (88%) and Mixed (9%).
In 2026, 44 pupils (19.9%) received SEN support and 3 (1.4%) 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 Halifax Rail Station, about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Shelf School (at), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 46 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Calderdale (102).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Shelf Junior and Infant School issued 2 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
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
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2020, 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 November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a happy, safe school where pupils are known well by caring adults and flourish in a broad curriculum. The school excels at supporting pupils with additional needs while maintaining high expectations for all. Reading is a priority, and pupils benefit from excellent phonics teaching with swift intervention for those who need extra help.
Key Strengths
- Strong provision for pupils with SEND, ensuring they access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers
- Excellent reading programme with regular phonics checks and swift support for struggling readers
- Broad and ambitious curriculum with step-by-step knowledge progression from Reception to Year 6
- Children in Reception get off to a strong start with purposeful interactions and outdoor learning opportunities
- Pupils thrive in leadership roles across the school
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching does not consistently deepen pupils' understanding of subject-specific vocabulary and related concepts
- Variation in how well handwriting is taught, with weaknesses in letter formation not being consistently addressed across the school
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, creative activities, outdoor learning
Shelf Junior and Infant School has maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. Pupils are courteous, enjoy coming to school, and benefit from strong relationships with caring adults who know them well.
At a Glance
12.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
27 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 declined from 76% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 52% to 66% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 66% to 55% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.6
Avg class size
25.7
Infant (KS1)
28.8
KS2
8
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 Shelf Junior and Infant School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Shelf Junior and Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Shelf Junior and Infant 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 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 Shelf Junior and Infant School
Will you get a place at Shelf Junior and Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Shelf Junior and Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Shelf Junior and Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Shelf Junior and Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Calderdale, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Shelf Junior and Infant 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
72%
Available places
228 pupils
315 places
87 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(7)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
44
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
21.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
221
Total Pupils
104
Boys
117
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
17.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,347
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,096
Per pupil
£1272k
Total funding
£36k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
11.6%
Persistent absence
199
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
Shelf Junior and Infant School
Questions parents ask about Shelf Junior and Infant School
What are SATs results like at Shelf Junior and Infant School?
Of the pupils at Shelf Junior and Infant School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 66% did so in maths.
What is Shelf Junior and Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Shelf Junior and Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Shelf Junior and Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Shelf Junior and Infant 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 Shelf Junior and Infant School?
Shelf Junior and Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 72% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at Shelf Junior and Infant School?
Classes at Shelf Junior and Infant School average 27.6 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 Shelf Junior and Infant School?
Shelf Junior and Infant School has around 221 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Shelf Junior and Infant School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at Shelf Junior and Infant School in 2024/25. 11.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Shelf Junior and Infant School?
Apply through Calderdale's coordinated admissions process, naming Shelf Junior and Infant 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 Shelf Junior and Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Calderdale is 12 (the median across 114 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Shelf Junior and Infant School?
Shelf Junior and Infant School is at Shelf Hall Lane, Shelf, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX3 7LT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)