St Giles C of E Academy, Pontefract

In its own words: "When the doors are opened in the morning children come straight into classrooms where teachers are waiting to welcome them and take the register. Lessons begin promptly at 8.50am (KS1) & 8.55am (KS2) and it is important that lessons are not disrupted by late arrivals as children who are late miss important introductions to lessons."

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:50am, from £3.70 per session.

Coming up: an open day on Monday 11 January 2027 at 3.30pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at St Giles C of E Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 89% 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 (87% in reading, 82% in maths).

For September 2026 entry, 41 families put St Giles C of E Academy as their first choice and 80 named it as one of their preferences, for 42 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Giles C of E Academy are St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Pontefract (0.4 miles, Good, 90% reading, 83% maths); Ark Halfpenny Lane Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 97% reading, 95% maths); Ark De Lacy Primary School (0.8 miles, Outstanding, 82% reading, 82% maths); and Holy Family and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 58% reading, 54% maths).

St Giles C of E Academy's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

St Giles C of E Academy is one of 17 schools run by Enhance Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

54 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Giles C of E Academy (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 79% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (79%).

16.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 9.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 79 pupils (23.4%) received SEN support and 12 (3.6%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Pontefract Tanshelf Rail Station, about 490 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).

20 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Pontefract Cemetery (at), 70 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Giles C of E Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 352 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Wakefield (130), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, St Giles C of E Academy issued 27 suspensions, 7.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to St Giles C of E Academy are Ark The King's School (0.7 miles), Ark Carleton High School (1.3 miles), The Featherstone Academy (1.8 miles) and Airedale Academy (1.8 miles).