Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School, Huddersfield
Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 10 in Huddersfield. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. It was 85% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kirklees (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School in detail
Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School
For September 2026 entry, 9 families put Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School as their first choice and 25 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 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 Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School are Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School (0.9 miles, Outstanding, 94% reading, 97% maths); Farnley Tyas Church of England Voluntary Controlled First School (1.2 miles, Good); New Mill Junior School (1.2 miles, Outstanding, 62% reading, 68% maths); and New Mill Infant School (1.2 miles, Outstanding).
Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant SchoolFarnley Tyas Church of England Voluntary Controlled First SchoolNew Mill Junior SchoolNew Mill Infant School
What parents say
32 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 71% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (71%).
Who goes there
1.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Mixed (14%).
In 2026, 8 pupils (14%) received SEN support and 1 (1.8%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Brockholes Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Thurstonland Recreation Ground, 90 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 13 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kirklees (153).
Suspensions and exclusions
Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School are Holmfirth High School (1.1 miles) and Honley High School (1.7 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 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 February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Thurstonland creates a happy, safe environment where children feel supported by caring staff. The school is particularly strong in teaching reading, with all children receiving high-quality phonics instruction and support to catch up if needed. The school also excels at building confident, independent learners, especially for children with additional needs, and actively involves pupils in their community through roles like school council and intergenerational activities.
Key Strengths
- Excellent phonics teaching with strong early reading outcomes - pupils achieve highly in Year 1 phonics screening checks
- Effective support for pupils with SEND, helping them grow in confidence and independence
- Positive relationships between staff and pupils with friendly, supportive atmosphere
- Strong focus on communication and language in early years using stories and rhymes
- Successful reduction in persistent absence through close monitoring and parent engagement
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers not acting quickly enough on assessment information in some subjects, leaving gaps in pupil knowledge
- Pupils lack secure understanding of fundamental British values and struggle to explain their relevance to everyday life
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective with an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, play leaders, local artists visiting, singing carols with elderly community members
Thurstonland is an inclusive school at the heart of the community with high expectations for pupil achievement and behaviour. The school was rated Good across all areas including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.
At a Glance
1.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
32 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
19.0
Avg class size
15.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School
Term dates
Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Kirklees. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 21 February to Friday 25 February 2028)
- Summer term: Monday 24 April to Tuesday 25 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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
Your chances of a place at Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School
Will you get a place at Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kirklees, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Kirklees 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
85%
Available places
61 pupils
72 places
11 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Huddersfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Huddersfield
Across Kirklees council
Places available
5,437
Applications
4,554
Got 1st preference
93.8%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Kirklees council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
8
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
15.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
57
Total Pupils
31
Boys
26
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
11.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,126
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,046
Per pupil
£468k
Total funding
£2k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.2%
Overall absence
0.0%
Persistent absence
52
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
Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School
Questions parents ask about Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School
What is Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School's Ofsted rating?
Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School?
No fixed boundary. When Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School is oversubscribed, Kirklees allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School?
Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 85% of its 72 places.
How big are the classes at Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School?
Classes at Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School average 19 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School?
Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School has around 57 pupils on roll. 2% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School?
3.2% of sessions were missed at Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School in 2024/25. 0% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School?
Apply through Kirklees's coordinated admissions process, naming Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School 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.
What are Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School's term dates?
Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Kirklees. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 21 February to Friday 25 February 2028); Summer term: Monday 24 April to Tuesday 25 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Kirklees is 12 (the median across 203 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School?
Thurstonland Endowed Voluntary Controlled First School is at Marsh Hall Lane, Thurstonland, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD4 6XD.
Sources: Kirklees term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)