Shepley First School, Huddersfield
Shepley First School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 10 in Huddersfield. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2024. It was 96% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- 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
Shepley First School in detail
Getting a place at Shepley First School
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put Shepley First School as their first choice and 64 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.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Shepley First School are Shelley First School (1 mile, Good); Cumberworth CofE First School (1.1 miles); Birdsedge First School (1.2 miles, Good); and Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School (1.8 miles, Outstanding).
Shelley First SchoolCumberworth CofE First SchoolBirdsedge First SchoolThurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School
Who goes there
7.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 17 pupils (10.1%) received SEN support and 3 (1.8%) 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 Shepley Rail Station, about 660 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Shepley Black Bull, 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kirklees (153).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Shepley First School issued 3 suspensions, 1.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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 April 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This caring school community has high ambitions for every child and creates a calm, orderly environment where pupils feel safe and well cared for. Staff build warm relationships with each child and provide excellent support for those who need help managing their emotions. Parents recognise the school is going from strength to strength, with staff going above and beyond to nurture relationships with families and the community.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with small group learning ensuring pupils get the exact knowledge they need - pupils enjoy reading and understand its importance
- Well-sequenced curriculum in geography that builds on prior learning with practical opportunities like Year 4 river studies and regular outdoor 'Muddy Puddle' sessions
- Excellent behaviour and relationships across the school - pupils learn in a calm, orderly atmosphere and older pupils act as positive role models
- Comprehensive support for pupils with SEND, who are fully included in all lessons with staff quick to provide extra help when needed
- Strong school culture and community spirit with warm, positive relationships between staff and pupils starting from Reception
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, curriculum leaders are relatively new and don't have secure understanding of how well pupils are learning - the school needs more regular monitoring of curriculum implementation
- In mathematics, inconsistencies in how the new curriculum is being taught - leaders' monitoring isn't regular enough
- In Reception, there are missed opportunities for children to make their own choices and decisions - some resources and tasks in the learning environment are too limiting
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Breakfast club, after-school club, local river study (Year 4), Muddy Puddle outdoor learning sessions
Shepley First School is a good school at the heart of its local community with a real sense of belonging and high expectations for all pupils' achievements. The school maintains consistently high standards and prepares all pupils, including those with SEND, well for their next stage of education.
At a Glance
7.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
28.0
Avg class size
28.3
Infant (KS1)
27.7
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Shepley First School
Term dates
Shepley First 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 Shepley First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Shepley 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.
0 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 Shepley First School
Will you get a place at Shepley First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Shepley First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Shepley First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Shepley 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 Shepley First 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
96%
Near capacity
172 pupils
180 places
8 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)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
17
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
11.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
168
Total Pupils
86
Boys
82
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
18.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,907
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,212
Per pupil
£992k
Total funding
£24k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.6%
Overall absence
4.9%
Persistent absence
143
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
Shepley First School
Questions parents ask about Shepley First School
What is Shepley First School's Ofsted rating?
Shepley First School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2024.
What is the catchment area for Shepley First School?
No fixed boundary. When Shepley 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 Shepley First School?
Shepley First School was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Shepley First School?
Classes at Shepley First School average 28 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Shepley First School?
Shepley First School has around 168 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Shepley First School?
3.6% of sessions were missed at Shepley First School in 2024/25. 4.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Shepley First School?
Apply through Kirklees's coordinated admissions process, naming Shepley 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.
What are Shepley First School's term dates?
Shepley First 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 Shepley 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. 0 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 Shepley First School?
Shepley First School is at Firth Street, Shepley, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD8 8DD.
Sources: Kirklees term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)