Primary · Voluntary aided school · Wakefield, WF2 6AS
Key stage 2 2024/25
#13,162 of 15,057
Worse than 87% of schools in England
Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 7 Jan 2025
Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 108270.
Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.
| Measure | This school | Wakefield | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 45%, worse than England, worse than Wakefield | 63% | 63% |
| Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing. | 3%, worse than England, worse than Wakefield | 9% | 8% |
| Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 102, worse than England, worse than Wakefield | 105 | 106 |
| Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 102, worse than England, worse than Wakefield | 104 | 105 |
| Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 103, worse than England, similar to Wakefield | 104 | 105 |
| Expected standard in reading | 55%, worse than England, worse than Wakefield | 73% | 76% |
| Expected standard in writing | 64%, worse than England, worse than Wakefield | 74% | 73% |
| Expected standard in maths | 61%, worse than England, worse than Wakefield | 74% | 75% |
| Pupils taking tests | 88 | - | - |
Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.
Pupils at the January school census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Total pupils | 608 |
| Girls | 281 |
| Boys | 327 |
| Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals. | 24.3% |
| First language not English | 37.3% |
| School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery. | 630 |
| Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken. | 3.5% |
| SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school. | 130 |
| EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs. | 21 |
| Average class size | 28.8 |
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils per teacher | 23.9 |
| Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants. | 11.5 |
| Teachers (FTE) | 25.43 |
| Teaching assistants (FTE) | 25.68 |
| Support staff (FTE) | 40.19 |
| Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25 | 26.6 |
| Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/25 | 24.2 |
| Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/25 | 2 |
| Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/25 | 0.4 |
Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.
Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day. | 68 |
| Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed. | 141 |
| First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice. | 55 |
| First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place. | 55 |
| Applications from another local authority (Reception) | 0 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.
Share of possible sessions missed.
| Measure | This school | Wakefield | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall absence | 5.7%, worse than England, worse than Wakefield | 5.2% | 5.1% |
| Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions. | 16.2%, worse than England, worse than Wakefield | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions. | 1.6%, worse than England, similar to Wakefield | 1.1% | 1% |
Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Suspension rate | 1.8% |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions | 1.1% |
| Permanent exclusion rate | 0.3% |
| Permanent exclusions | 2 |
Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.
Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.
| Distance | Phase | Name | Type | Rating | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.4 mi | Secondary | St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 29 Mar 2023. | |
| 0.7 mi | Nursery | The Castle Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 15 Oct 2014. | |
| 0.7 mi | Primary | Sandal Magna Community Academy | Academy sponsor led | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 1 Nov 2022. | |
| 0.8 mi | Secondary | Kettlethorpe High School | Community school | Requires improvement Area360 rating. Inspected 23 Jun 2026. | |
| 1.1 mi | Primary | Walton Primary Academy | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 11 Dec 2013. | |
| 1.1 mi | Primary | Methodist Voluntary Controlled Junior, Infant and Nursery School: With Communication Resource | Voluntary controlled school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 9 Jul 2013. | |
| 1.3 mi | Primary | Hendal Primary School | Community school | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 19 Nov 2024. | |
| 1.6 mi | Secondary | Trinity Academy Cathedral | Academy converter | Outstanding Area360 rating. Inspected 2 Jun 2026. | |
| 1.6 mi | Primary | The Mount Junior Infant & Nursery School | Community school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 29 Nov 2022. | |
| 1.7 mi | Primary | Wakefield St Marys Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Voluntary aided school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 21 Nov 2017. |
Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 7 Jan 2025. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.
Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School ranks 13,162 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (worse than 87% of schools).
In 2024/25, 45% of pupils at Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).
For Reception entry in 2026/27, Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School made 68 offers from 141 applications (2.1 per offer), and 55 of 55 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.
Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School has 608 pupils aged 4 to 11.
Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School had 630 school places in 2024/25.
At Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School, the average class had 28.8 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 23.9 pupils per teacher.
In 2025/26, pupils at Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School missed 5.7% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 16.2% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).
Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.