School Chooser

Hanging Heaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England133 pupilsBatleyKirklees
School Chooser Score
82
Above
similar schools
Likely range 58 to 93, so it could be “well above”
Out of 100. Better than 89% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, December 2022
Reached the expected level at 1175%England 63%
Attendance95.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families15%Far fewer than most schools
Places7 spare133 pupils, 140 places
Pupils per teacher19.9School workforce census

Hanging Heaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Batley for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 133 pupils and room for 140. About 15 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 82 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 89% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

High Street, Hanging Heaton, Batley, WF17 6DW01924 463035hangingheaton.co.ukMrs Sally Caspell headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 13 December 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
11 December 2019UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

20 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1175%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level30%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 80%80%20172018: 70%70%20182019: 76%76%20192023: 58%58%20232024: 84%84%20242025: 75%75%2025
Since 2017: -5%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017KirkleesEngland
Pupils tested201919212020
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths75%84%58%76%70%80%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths30%21%0%19%20%10%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0107.0104.0103.0106.0105.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0107.0103.0105.0105.0107.0104.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0108.0105.0104.0108.0109.0104.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard90%89%63%76%75%85%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard85%84%79%81%80%85%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)85%84%79%81%80%95%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.9-1.7+1.0+0.8
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.0-1.2+0.2+2.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged38%33%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged73%100%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
60%90%
Gap 30 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places128 pupils for 140 places, 2024/25
91% full

About 12 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 7% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

In 2025 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2025. Every child who applied got a place (16 offers for 20 places).

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2025 Primary2016all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll133Census January 2026
Places14095% full
Pupils from low-income families15%15% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English10%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%19 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size26.65 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)15%£31,000 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls66 / 67
White British pupils68%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (7), Moderate learning difficulty (4), emotional and mental health (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Other difficulty or disability (2), Multi-sensory impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll133134133134140132
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals15%14%11%16%18%17%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language10%5%2%3%3%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support6%8%8%11%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school11.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.3%4.7%4.8%6.7%2.6%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.5%3.6%3.4%5.4%2.1%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.8%1.1%1.4%1.3%0.5%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence11.6%6.6%13.3%18.3%5.8%3.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.70.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers6.7full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher19.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,840
Teachers who left in the year42%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher16.12024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,585England £7,738. Total £882k
Income per pupil£6,448England £7,697. Total £864k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,614England £3,480
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £54k, £404 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£18kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,585spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m15212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate97 per 1,000 people7% higher than the England average
Typical house price£210,000Kirklees
Nearest bus stop40 mHanging Heaton School, 25 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery SchoolCouncil360 m223Report card 20264Compare
Bywell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior SchoolChurch of England770 m384Good 202467Compare
Mill Lane Primary SchoolCouncil900 m158Good 202454Compare
Lydgate Junior and Infant SchoolCouncil950 m297No overall grade 202472Compare
Field Lane Junior Infant and Nursery SchoolAcademy0.9 miles238Good 202377Compare
Warwick Road Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles362Good 202491Compare
Hyrstmount Junior SchoolAcademy1.0 miles257Good 2021Compare
Eastborough AcademyAcademy1.0 miles214Requires improvement 20219Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Hanging Heaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats89%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 82 is 38 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 43 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 82 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 82% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 58 to 93. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
+0.09
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 20 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.8 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.09
DfE progress measure; 20 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.26
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.04
2024/25; 121 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.14
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 20 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Hanging Heaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Hanging Heaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School scores 82 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 89% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 58 to 93, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Hanging Heaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Hanging Heaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School good at its last full inspection on 13 December 2022.

How good are Hanging Heaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 75% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 30% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Hanging Heaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School have?

133 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 140 places, so it is 95% full.

Is Hanging Heaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 12 places were empty in 2024/25 (9% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Hanging Heaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School?

Pupils were in school 95.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 12% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Hanging Heaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School?

The average class had 26.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
High Street, Hanging Heaton, Batley, WF17 6DW
Telephone
01924 463035
Website
www.hangingheaton.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Sally Caspell
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Leeds (ce)
Local authority
Kirklees
Ward
Dewsbury East
Constituency
Dewsbury and Batley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
107709 · LAESTAB 3823014 · UKPRN 10068631

Where these figures come from