The Vale Primary Academy, Knottingley
The Vale Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Knottingley, part of Delta Academies Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 6 schools in Knottingley with published results, and 5,775th of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Wakefield (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Vale Primary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at The Vale Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 80% 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 (89% in reading, 74% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at The Vale Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put The Vale Primary Academy as their first choice and 72 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at The Vale Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Vale Primary Academy are Simpson's Lane Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 84% reading, 84% maths); England Lane Academy (0.8 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 88% maths); Willow Green Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 70% reading, 77% maths); and St Botolphs CE Academy (0.9 miles, Requires improvement, 73% reading, 78% maths).
The Vale Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Simpson's Lane AcademyEngland Lane AcademyWillow Green AcademySt Botolphs CE Academy
The trust
The Vale Primary 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
82 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Vale Primary Academy (as of September 2025): 77% would recommend the school, 92% say their child is happy there and 42% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (42%).
Who goes there
10.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 44 pupils (20.2%) received SEN support and 6 (2.8%) 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 Knottingley Rail Station, about 350 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Pottery Lane (opposite), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Vale Primary Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Vale Primary Academy issued 4 suspensions, 1.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2013, 13 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 December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Vale creates a warm, welcoming place where every child matters and is encouraged to reach their potential. The school combines a carefully crafted curriculum across all subjects with inspiring teaching that makes learning come alive - pupils consistently exceed what's expected of them. Staff work hard to support all children, including those who need extra help, ensuring every child succeeds and develops the values like respect and responsibility they'll need for life.
Key Strengths
- Rich reading environment with systematic phonics teaching that helps pupils read fluently and develop a love of books
- Broad, ambitious curriculum that is thoughtfully sequenced and integrates subjects well so pupils make exceptional progress
- Exceptionally strong relationships between staff and pupils creating a culture of ambition, trust and positive behaviour
- Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs who are fully included and achieve exceptionally well
- Early years provision that promotes independence, collaboration and problem-solving in a well-resourced environment
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Story time, reading clubs, outdoor reading spaces, trips, visits, career activities, leadership roles including 'money managers'
The Vale Primary Academy is an outstanding school that helps pupils thrive through an exceptionally caring environment and expertly designed curriculum. All key areas - quality of education, behaviour, personal development, leadership and early years provision - have been judged as outstanding.
At a Glance
19.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
82 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 declined from 89% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 74% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.0
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
29.0
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Vale Primary Academy
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Vale Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Vale Primary 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
- 20
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 8 serious and 11 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 The Vale Primary Academy
Will you get a place at The Vale Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Vale Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Vale Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Vale Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wakefield, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Vale Primary 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
93%
Near capacity
195 pupils
210 places
15 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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
44
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
22.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
218
Total Pupils
104
Boys
114
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
21.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,008
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,595
Per pupil
£1192k
Total funding
£52k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
12.2%
Persistent absence
180
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
The Vale Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about The Vale Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at The Vale Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at The Vale Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is The Vale Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
The Vale Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for The Vale Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When The Vale Primary 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 The Vale Primary Academy?
The Vale Primary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at The Vale Primary Academy?
Classes at The Vale Primary Academy average 28 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Vale Primary Academy?
The Vale Primary Academy has around 218 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Vale Primary Academy?
4.8% of sessions were missed at The Vale Primary Academy in 2024/25. 12.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Vale Primary Academy?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming The Vale Primary 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 The Vale Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 8 serious and 11 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 The Vale Primary Academy?
The Vale Primary Academy is at Ferrybridge Road, Knottingley, West Yorkshire, WF11 8JF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)