West End Academy, Pontefract
West End Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Pontefract, part of Waterton Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 16th-highest of the 33 schools in Pontefract with published results, and 7,353rd of 14,452 across England. It was 75% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Wakefield (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
West End Academy in detail
West End Academy in its own words
In its own words: "Our core values at West End Academy are to aim high, achieve together and embrace difference. We do this by having: As a school, we are relentless in our pursuit of excellence and have an unwavering desire to give every child the best that they deserve."
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of our entire school community, I’d like to welcome you to our fantastic school. Since September 2026, I have been incredibly proud to become the headteacher of West End Academy. Throughout my time as headteacher, we will constantly strive to improve the learning experiences of our children."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, athletics, guitar, gardening and cheerleading.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at West End Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 81% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Wakefield and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 88% in reading and 88% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at West End Academy
For September 2026 entry, 19 families put West End Academy as their first choice and 46 named it as one of their preferences, for 20 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to West End Academy are Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 52% reading, 35% maths); St Helen's CE Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 84% reading, 74% maths); Grove Lea Primary School (0.5 miles, 87% reading, 87% maths); and King's Meadow Academy (1.2 miles, Requires improvement, 59% reading, 45% maths).
West End Academy's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary SchoolSt Helen's CE Primary SchoolGrove Lea Primary SchoolKing's Meadow Academy
The trust
West End Academy is one of 16 schools run by Waterton Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
15 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about West End Academy (as of September 2025): 87% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 40% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (40%).
Who goes there
4.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 22 pupils (11.8%) received SEN support and 4 (2.1%) 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 Fitzwilliam Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cedar Business Centre (at), 240 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
West End Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2015, 11 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 Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
West End Academy gives pupils an exceptional education where they achieve highly and feel safe. The school has extremely high ambitions for all pupils, including those with special needs, and supports them brilliantly to succeed. Pupils are happy, attend well, and are prepared to become thoughtful global citizens who understand they can make a difference in the world.
Key Strengths
- Broad, rich curriculum with clear focus on key knowledge that pupils remember well
- Excellent teaching with strong subject knowledge and quick identification of misconceptions
- High priority given to reading, with pupils becoming fluent readers quickly
- Exemplary work on increasing attendance with strong relationships with families
- Wide range of enrichment opportunities including trips, clubs, and visitor experiences
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, choir, sign language club, art club, trips to Leeds City Museum and local university visits, career talks from visitors
West End Academy is a primary school where pupils receive an exceptional education and achieve highly. Evidence suggests the school's work has improved significantly since the previous inspection.
At a Glance
30.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
15 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 88% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 88% to 81% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 88% to 81% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.7
Avg class size
25.7
Infant (KS1)
27.5
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from West End Academy
Places Of Worship
3 Jul 2026
Anti-Bullying Policy
26 Jun 2026
Fabulous Florence
19 Jun 2026
Helping In The Community
5 Jun 2026
Story Explorers
22 May 2026
We Are Authors
8 May 2026
From West End Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with West End Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to West End Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. West End 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
- 1
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 West End Academy
Will you get a place at West End Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against West End Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for West End Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to West End Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wakefield, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at West End 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
75%
Available places
184 pupils
245 places
61 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
22
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
13.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
187
Total Pupils
93
Boys
94
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
23.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,000
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,748
Per pupil
£1230k
Total funding
£82k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
13.5%
Persistent absence
170
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
West End Academy
Questions parents ask about West End Academy
What are SATs results like at West End Academy?
Of the pupils at West End Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 81% did so in maths.
What is West End Academy's Ofsted rating?
West End Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for West End Academy?
No fixed boundary. When West End 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 West End Academy?
West End Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 75% of its 245 places.
How big are the classes at West End Academy?
Classes at West End Academy average 26.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to West End Academy?
West End Academy has around 187 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at West End Academy?
5.1% of sessions were missed at West End Academy in 2024/25. 13.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to West End Academy?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming West End 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 West End Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 West End Academy?
West End Academy is at Regent Street, Hemsworth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF9 4QJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)