Southgate School, Huddersfield
Southgate School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 16 in Huddersfield. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Southgate School in detail
Southgate School in its own words
In its own words: "We strongly believe that these nurture approaches improve outcomes and help prepare our pupils for adulthood. To focus on giving our pupils their best possible futures, enabling them to lead happy, safe and purposeful lives To uphold and remain true to our vision and values, embedding the Nurture Principles to always put our pupils and their wellbeing first"
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include gymnastics, cooking and art.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Southgate School are Woodley School and College (1.2 miles, Good); Fields Rise School (1.8 miles, Good); Castle Hill School (2 miles, Outstanding); and Fable House (2.7 miles).
Woodley School and CollegeFields Rise SchoolCastle Hill SchoolFable House
Where pupils go next
Of the 19 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 21% to a further education college.
Who goes there
53.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 12.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (69%), Asian (13%) and Mixed (9%).
Almost every pupil at Southgate School has an education, health and care plan (182 of 182 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Southgate School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Huddersfield Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ings Road (s bound), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Southgate School 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
Southgate School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from March 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2015 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
53.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Vision, Hearing, Speech and language +4
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Southgate School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Southgate School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Southgate 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
111%
Over capacity
182 pupils
164 places
18 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
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.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
182
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Southgate School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
182
Total Pupils
130
Boys
52
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
29
Teachers
6.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,313
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.2%
Overall absence
31.7%
Persistent absence
183
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
Southgate School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Southgate School
What are GCSE results like at Southgate School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Southgate School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.4. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Southgate School's Ofsted rating?
Southgate School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Southgate School?
No fixed boundary. When Southgate School is oversubscribed, Kirklees allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Southgate School?
Southgate School has around 182 pupils on roll. 53% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Southgate School have specialist SEN provision?
Southgate School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Southgate School?
9.2% of sessions were missed at Southgate School in 2024/25. 31.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Southgate School?
Apply through Kirklees's coordinated admissions process, naming Southgate School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Southgate School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Southgate School?
Southgate School is at Southfield Road, Almondbury, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD5 8TG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)