Upton Primary School, Pontefract
Upton Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Pontefract. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 23rd-highest of the 33 schools in Pontefract with published results, and 13,005th of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below 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
Upton Primary School in detail
Upton Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "UPTON CARES: We care about ourselves; We care about each other; We care about our world. Upton Primary School at the heart of the community with the community at its heart."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include multi-sports and choir.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care, from £3.50 per day.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils at Upton Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 64% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Wakefield and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 62% in reading and 70% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Upton Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 48 families put Upton Primary School as their first choice and 67 named it as one of their preferences, for 48 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Upton Primary School are Badsworth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School (1.4 miles, Good, 83% reading, 90% maths); Ash Grove Primary Academy (1.4 miles, Good, 57% reading, 61% maths); South Elmsall Carlton Junior and Infant School (1.9 miles, Good, 71% reading, 53% maths); and Moorthorpe Primary School With Inclusion Resource (2 miles, Good, 60% reading, 58% maths).
Upton Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Badsworth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant SchoolAsh Grove Primary AcademySouth Elmsall Carlton Junior and Infant SchoolMoorthorpe Primary School With Inclusion Resource
Who goes there
7.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 70 pupils (15.5%) received SEN support and 29 (6.4%) 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 South Elmsall Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Upton School (at), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 44 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Wakefield (130).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Upton Primary School issued 11 suspensions, 2.3 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 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from September 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2017 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
29.8%
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 declined from 62% to 55% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 70% to 64% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 72% to 64% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.2
Avg class size
27.8
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
12
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Upton Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Upton Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Upton Primary School 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 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 Upton Primary School
Will you get a place at Upton Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Upton Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Upton Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Upton Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wakefield, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Upton Primary School 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
97%
Near capacity
406 pupils
420 places
14 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Pontefract
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Pontefract
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(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
70
SEN Support
29
EHC Plans
21.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
453
Total Pupils
245
Boys
208
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
22.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,612
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,470
Per pupil
£2519k
Total funding
£185k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
21.3%
Persistent absence
361
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
Upton Primary School
Questions parents ask about Upton Primary School
What are SATs results like at Upton Primary School?
Of the pupils at Upton Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 55% reached the expected standard in reading and 64% did so in maths.
What is Upton Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Upton Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Upton Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Upton Primary School is oversubscribed, Wakefield allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Upton Primary School?
Upton Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Upton Primary School?
Classes at Upton Primary School average 29.2 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Upton Primary School?
Upton Primary School has around 453 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Upton Primary School?
6.6% of sessions were missed at Upton Primary School in 2024/25. 21.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Upton Primary School?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming Upton Primary 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.
How many road collisions happen near Upton Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Upton Primary School?
Upton Primary School is at Waggon Lane, Upton, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF9 1JS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)