Shelley First School, Huddersfield
Shelley First School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 10 in Huddersfield, part of The Mast Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. It was 83% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kirklees (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Shelley First School in detail
Shelley First School in its own words
In its own words: "Our values form our Shelley Foundations. At Shelley First we share, we help, we encourage, we love learning, we know everyone matters and we believe in 'you can'."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Tucked away in the quiet, sought-after village of Shelley, we are a popular, much-loved first school that sits at the heart of our community. The school welcomes over 180 pupils from Reception to Year 5 and holds an excellent reputation, with a strong record of academic achievement, pupil well-being and outstanding enrichment opportunities."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include multi-sports and Lego.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Shelley First School
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put Shelley First School as their first choice and 65 named it as one of their preferences, for 26 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Shelley First School are Shepley First School (1 mile, Good); Kirkburton CofE (VA) First School (1 mile, Good); Cumberworth CofE First School (1.5 miles); and Highburton CofE First Academy (1.6 miles).
Shepley First SchoolKirkburton CofE (VA) First SchoolCumberworth CofE First SchoolHighburton CofE First Academy
The trust
Shelley First School is one of 6 schools run by The Mast Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
1.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (87%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 17 pupils (10.7%) received SEN support and 4 (2.5%) 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 Shepley Rail Station, about 870 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Far Bank, 210 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Shelley First School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 12 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kirklees (153).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Shelley First School issued 2 suspensions, 1.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Shelley First School are Kirkburton Middle School (1.2 miles); and Shelley College, A Share Academy (1.4 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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management, Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
At a Glance
1.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
26.5
Avg class size
26.0
Infant (KS1)
27.0
KS2
6
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Shelley First School
Term dates
Shelley First 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Shelley First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Shelley First 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 Shelley First School
Will you get a place at Shelley First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Shelley First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Shelley First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Shelley First School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kirklees, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Shelley First School for 2017 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
83%
Available places
169 pupils
204 places
35 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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
17
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
13.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
159
Total Pupils
82
Boys
77
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,288
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,973
Per pupil
£924k
Total funding
£9k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.6%
Overall absence
5.4%
Persistent absence
149
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
Shelley First School
Questions parents ask about Shelley First School
What is Shelley First School's Ofsted rating?
Shelley First School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2008 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Shelley First School?
No fixed boundary. When Shelley First 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 Shelley First School?
Shelley First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 83% of its 204 places.
How big are the classes at Shelley First School?
Classes at Shelley First School average 26.5 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Shelley First School?
Shelley First School has around 159 pupils on roll. 2% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Shelley First School?
3.6% of sessions were missed at Shelley First School in 2024/25. 5.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Shelley First School?
Apply through Kirklees's coordinated admissions process, naming Shelley First 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 Shelley First 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 Shelley First School?
Shelley First School is at School Terrace, Far Bank, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD8 8HU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)