West Vale Academy, Halifax
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 10 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
West Vale Academy excels at making every child feel known and valued in a caring, family-like environment. The school is particularly strong at supporting pupils with additional needs through thoughtful adaptations and emotional support that helps them succeed alongside their classmates. Teachers work well with mixed-age classes and have successfully helped disadvantaged pupils achieve above national averages.
Key Strengths
- Strong support for pupils with additional needs and SEND, including thoughtful daily adjustments and sensory support
- Effective teaching of phonics and focus on developing pupils' vocabulary and speaking confidence
- Successful narrowing of the attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils
- Calm, positive behaviour managed consistently by staff
- Caring relationships where pupils feel they belong and are known individually
Areas for Improvement
- In the wider curriculum, tasks sometimes don't help pupils use and embed key knowledge they have been taught
- Some adults in early years don't make the most of opportunities to develop children's vocabulary and deepen their thinking
- Need to continue strengthening pupils' mathematical fluency
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Educational visits (Chester Zoo), school events, trips, clubs
West Vale Academy is a small school serving a mixed-age community with a strong commitment to inclusion and supporting all learners. Pupils achieve well from their starting points, with particular success in narrowing the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils.
At a Glance
44.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 82%. Maths has remained stable at around 88%. Writing has improved from 80% to 88%.
Class Sizes
28.0
Avg class size
29.0
KS2
3
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
41%
Available places
74 pupils
182 capacity
108 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Halifax
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Halifax
Admissions Demand - Calderdale
Places available
2,943
Applications
1,899
Got 1st preference
95.6%
Got preferred school
98.9%
Primary admissions across Calderdale (2025/26)
Inspection History(3)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.97337%
Overall absence
12.65823%
Persistent absence
79
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
West Vale Academy
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