Towngate Primary Academy, Ossett
Towngate Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Ossett, part of Inspire Partnership Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 5 schools in Ossett with published results, and 12,897th of 14,452 across England. It was 88% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- 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 Wakefield (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Towngate Primary Academy in detail
Towngate Primary Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Towngate Primary Academy is a semi-rural school situated in the town of Ossett. Towngate Primary Academy caters for pupils aged 3-11 and are proud to be part of Inspire Partnership Multi Academy Trust. We have carefully considered our curriculum offer to ensure we go above and beyond by providing a child-centred holistic approach to learning."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils at Towngate Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 61% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Wakefield and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 84% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Towngate Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 41 families put Towngate Primary Academy as their first choice and 98 named it as one of their preferences, for 41 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 Towngate Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Towngate Primary Academy are Ossett Flushdyke Junior and Infant School (0.3 miles, Good, 87% reading, 93% maths); Ossett Holy Trinity CofE VA Primary School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 64% reading, 71% maths); Ossett South Parade Primary (0.5 miles, Good, 72% reading, 67% maths); and Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School (0.5 miles, Good, 94% reading, 96% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Towngate Primary Academy.
Ossett Flushdyke Junior and Infant SchoolOssett Holy Trinity CofE VA Primary SchoolOssett South Parade PrimaryOssett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School
The trust
Towngate Primary Academy is one of 9 schools run by Inspire Partnership Multi 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.
What parents say
64 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Towngate Primary Academy (as of September 2025): 92% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 77% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (77%).
Who goes there
12.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8.4% 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 Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 22 pupils (7.1%) received SEN support and 9 (2.9%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wakefield Westgate Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Milner Way (sw bound), 140 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Towngate Primary Academy issued 3 suspensions, 1 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); 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 July 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school has improved significantly.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
This school is typically described by parents and carers, pupils and staff as a 'special place'. It is a homely environment where pupils enjoy the calming music and subdued lighting. They feel safe. From the early years, pupils are nurtured and valued as individuals. Their behaviour is exemplary. They attend well and take pride in their achievements. There is a strong sense of community and high expectations for pupils. These are evident in the 'Towngate pathway' and the aspirational curriculum. Pupils are active and enthusiastic learners.
Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and respectful. Pupils know who to talk to if they have any difficulties or worries. They appreciate the different ways to do this. Staff model and promote positive behaviour. They deal with the rare incidents of poor behaviour effectively.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders at all levels share a genuine ambition for the school to provide the absolute best for pupils. Curriculum subjects are continually reviewed and refined to ensure they meet pupils' needs well. Curriculum content builds and extends pupils' knowledge from the early years. There are frequent opportunities for pupils to practise and revisit important knowledge. Learning is purposeful. Pupils learn to apply their knowledge as skills. For example, in design and technology (DT), pupils use their knowledge of the work of successful civil engineers to create their own prototype model bridges.
The school utilises the support from the trust with exceptional skill. This is particularly the case with the teaching of early English and mathematics. The teaching of writing has been strengthened. Children in the early years develop the physical skills they need to write letters and numbers correctly. Writing for pupils in key stage 1 focuses precisely on the development of sentence structure, spelling and handwriting. Teachers model and explain relevant vocabulary clearly. Pupils learn to use and apply subject-specific language well, including in their writing. Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, achieve increasingly well.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2019 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
12.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
64 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 84% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 82% to 61% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.3
Avg class size
27.5
Infant (KS1)
27.5
KS2
11
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Towngate Primary Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Towngate Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Towngate 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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 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 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 Towngate Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Towngate Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Towngate Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Towngate Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Towngate 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 Towngate Primary Academy for 2017 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
88%
Available places
278 pupils
315 places
37 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ossett
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ossett
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
22
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
10.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
311
Total Pupils
156
Boys
155
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
23.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,856
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,037
Per pupil
£1559k
Total funding
£64k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.6%
Overall absence
7.3%
Persistent absence
260
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
Towngate Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about Towngate Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Towngate Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Towngate Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 59% reached the expected standard in reading and 61% did so in maths.
What is Towngate Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Towngate Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Towngate Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Towngate 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 Towngate Primary Academy?
Towngate Primary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at Towngate Primary Academy?
Classes at Towngate Primary Academy average 28.3 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 Towngate Primary Academy?
Towngate Primary Academy has around 311 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Towngate Primary Academy?
3.6% of sessions were missed at Towngate Primary Academy in 2024/25. 7.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Towngate Primary Academy?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming Towngate 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 Towngate Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Towngate Primary Academy?
Towngate Primary Academy is at Whitley Spring Road, Ossett, West Yorkshire, WF5 0QA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)