Simpson's Lane Academy, Knottingley
Simpson's Lane Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Knottingley, part of Delta Academies Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 6 schools in Knottingley with published results, and 3,885th of 14,452 across England. It was 68% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- 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 Wakefield (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Simpson's Lane Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils at Simpson's Lane Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Wakefield and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (83% in reading, 83% in maths).
Getting a place at Simpson's Lane Academy
For September 2026 entry, 41 families put Simpson's Lane Academy as their first choice and 66 named it as one of their preferences, for 41 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Simpson's Lane Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Simpson's Lane Academy are The Vale Primary Academy (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 80% reading, 80% maths); England Lane Academy (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 88% maths); Willow Green Academy (1 mile, Good, 70% reading, 77% maths); and St Botolphs CE Academy (1 mile, Requires improvement, 73% reading, 78% maths).
Simpson's Lane Academy's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
The Vale Primary AcademyEngland Lane AcademyWillow Green AcademySt Botolphs CE Academy
The trust
Simpson's Lane Academy is one of 64 schools run by Delta Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
21 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Simpson's Lane Academy (as of September 2025): 86% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (81%).
Who goes there
51.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 11.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 70 pupils (18.1%) received SEN support and 10 (2.6%) 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 Knottingley Rail Station, about 550 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Poplar Grove, 260 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Simpson's Lane Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Simpson's Lane Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from May 2012, 14 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
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Simpson's Lane Academy excels at creating a nurturing environment where children love learning and respect one another. The school has outstanding support systems ensuring all pupils - including those with additional needs - achieve exceptionally well. Beyond academics, the school provides an astonishing range of enrichment opportunities that help children develop important life skills and become active, aware citizens.
Key Strengths
- Strong reading culture with accessible books throughout school and highly effective phonics support for early readers
- Personalised, high-quality curriculum that makes learning relevant and builds strong pupil understanding
- Excellent support systems for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, resulting in exceptional achievement
- Very high behaviour expectations with a positive school atmosphere and trained mental health ambassadors supporting wellbeing
- Rigorous absence procedures leading to significantly improved attendance rates below national figures
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff ensuring pupils are safe and pupils speaking confidently about how staff keep them secure.
Extracurricular Activities
Mental health ambassador programme, community improvement activities, cooking, financial management training, educational visit to gurdwara, breakfast club
Simpson's Lane Academy is a primary school full of happy, polite pupils who thrive in a remarkable environment created by leaders. The school has established very high expectations for pupils' academic and wider development, with excellent outcomes in national tests.
At a Glance
51.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
21 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 remained stable at around 84% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 77% to 84% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.2
Avg class size
23.8
Infant (KS1)
26.1
KS2
16
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Simpson's Lane Academy
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Simpson's Lane Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Simpson's Lane Academy is in Wakefield; for families living there:
- Wakefield's school travel policy: Home To School Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 5 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 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 Simpson's Lane Academy
Will you get a place at Simpson's Lane Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Simpson's Lane Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Simpson's Lane Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Simpson's Lane Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wakefield, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Simpson's Lane Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Wakefield 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
68%
Available places
356 pupils
525 places
169 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Knottingley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Knottingley
Across Wakefield council
Places available
4,391
Applications
3,654
Got 1st preference
94.4%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Wakefield council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
70
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
20.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
387
Total Pupils
201
Boys
186
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
21.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,950
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,312
Per pupil
£2573k
Total funding
£298k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.2%
Overall absence
10.3%
Persistent absence
320
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
Simpson's Lane Academy
Questions parents ask about Simpson's Lane Academy
What are SATs results like at Simpson's Lane Academy?
Of the pupils at Simpson's Lane Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is Simpson's Lane Academy's Ofsted rating?
Simpson's Lane Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Simpson's Lane Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Simpson's Lane Academy is oversubscribed, Wakefield allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Simpson's Lane Academy?
Simpson's Lane Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 68% of its 525 places.
How big are the classes at Simpson's Lane Academy?
Classes at Simpson's Lane Academy average 24.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Simpson's Lane Academy?
Simpson's Lane Academy has around 387 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Simpson's Lane Academy?
5.2% of sessions were missed at Simpson's Lane Academy in 2024/25. 10.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Simpson's Lane Academy?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming Simpson's Lane Academy 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 Simpson's Lane Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 5 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Simpson's Lane Academy?
Simpson's Lane Academy is at Sycamore Avenue, Knottingley, WF11 0PJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)