St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy, Halifax
St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Halifax, part of Blessed Peter Snow Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 38th-highest of the 42 schools in Halifax with published results, and 12,330th of 14,452 across England. It was 72% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Calderdale (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils at St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 58% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Calderdale and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 21% in reading and 46% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 11 families put St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 20 named it as one of their preferences, for 11 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 St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy are Dean Field Community Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 86% reading, 86% maths); Moorside Community Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 66% reading, 66% maths); Ash Green Community Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 67% reading, 69% maths); and Abbey Park Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 89% reading, 85% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy.
Dean Field Community Primary SchoolMoorside Community Primary SchoolAsh Green Community Primary SchoolAbbey Park Academy
The trust
St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is one of 14 schools run by Blessed Peter Snow Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
55.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 10.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Black (8%).
Staffing
St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 25 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Halifax Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Furness Place, 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 252 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Calderdale (102), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy issued 14 suspensions, 8.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy are The North Halifax Grammar School (1 mile) and Trinity Academy Halifax (1 mile).
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; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Malachy's creates a warm, caring environment where children feel valued and happy. The school excels at teaching reading and phonics, with skilled staff providing targeted support for struggling readers. Early years provision is particularly strong, preparing children well for Year 1 through engaging, collaborative learning experiences.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with well-trained staff teaching phonics effectively - pupils who struggle receive targeted support
- Calm and productive classrooms with positive relationships between staff and pupils - behaviour has improved significantly over time
- Early years provision is engaging and well-led, with children developing strong collaborative skills
- Pupils quickly identified for additional support, including those with SEND who benefit from appropriate curriculum adjustments
- Thorough personal development programme helping pupils understand healthy relationships, internet safety, and equality
Areas for Improvement
- Subject content not taught in a logical order consistently - pupils sometimes complete tasks they can already do
- Assessment checks in some subjects not used to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge, so misconceptions persist
- Persistent absenteeism remains too high, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, affecting their academic achievement
- Too many pupils move to secondary school without sufficient skills and knowledge for success
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong culture around pupil safety and well-being.
Extracurricular Activities
Before- and after-school club, reading corners with wide range of texts
St Malachy's is an inclusive and caring school where pupils are happy and confident. While the school has made positive curriculum changes and improved behaviour significantly, pupils' published outcomes have not yet improved sufficiently.
At a Glance
55.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 21% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 46% to 58% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 39% to 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.0
Avg class size
21.5
Infant (KS1)
22.7
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 St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Before and after school care
St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Calderdale
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is in Calderdale; for families living there:
Apply to Calderdale for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 15
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 10 serious and 4 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 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 Calderdale is 12 (the median across 114 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 St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Calderdale, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Calderdale 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
72%
Available places
152 pupils
210 places
58 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Halifax
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Halifax
Across Calderdale council
Places available
2,848
Applications
1,863
Got 1st preference
96.6%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across Calderdale council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
31
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
23.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
172
Total Pupils
82
Boys
90
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
28.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,274
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,880
Per pupil
£1201k
Total funding
£126k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.1%
Overall absence
21.8%
Persistent absence
142
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
St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 68% reached the expected standard in reading and 58% did so in maths.
What is St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Calderdale allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 72% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy average 24 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 St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy has around 172 pupils on roll. 56% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
8.1% of sessions were missed at St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 21.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Calderdale's coordinated admissions process, naming St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary 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.
Does St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 10 serious and 4 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 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 Calderdale is 12 (the median across 114 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
St Malachy's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is at Furness Place, Illingworth, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX2 8JY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)