School Chooser

South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School

Primary · ages 2-7MixedCouncil208 pupilsNurseryPontefractWakefield
School Chooser Score
38
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 18 to 66
Out of 100. Better than 44% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
#9,883 of 16,041 in England#64 in WakefieldHow it is worked out
OfstedStrong teachingOfsted report card, November 2025
Attendance92.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families35%Far more than most schools
Parents would recommend86%22 Parent View responses
Places50 spare208 pupils, 258 places
Pupils per teacher20.8School workforce census

South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School is a council school in Pontefract for boys and girls aged 2 to 7. It has 208 pupils and room for 258. About 35 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 38 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 44% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in November 2025 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Common Road, South Kirkby, Pontefract, WF9 3EA01977 651918wwwcommonroadschool.org.ukMrs DANIELLE EDWARDS headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 25 November 2025. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
Strong
Achievement
Strong
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
Strong
Early years
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
17 November 2021Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1Good

Results

No published results yet for this school.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places154 pupils for 180 places, 2024/25
86% full

About 26 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 4% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Wakefield council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

What parents say

Would recommend the school86%England 87%
My child is happy here95%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe95%
Positive overall86%
My child is happy at this school
95%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
95%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
86%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
14% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
0%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
86%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
18% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
50%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
77%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
68%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
86%England 82%
I would recommend this school
86%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
86%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 22 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

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 roll208Census January 2026
Places25881% full
Pupils from low-income families28%35% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English6%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%35 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%10 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.85 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)34%£83,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls116 / 92
White British pupils87%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (32), Other difficulty or disability (8), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll208202194201184195
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals28%27%28%32%34%32%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language6%7%7%7%5%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support–15%9%5%5%4%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans–4%2%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school30.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils5.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.5%6.8%7.8%8.5%5.4%6.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.9%4.9%6.3%6.9%4.0%5.0%–
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%1.8%1.5%1.6%1.4%1.5%–
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence30.3%26.3%29.5%29.7%17.0%24.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate5.01.01.50.00.0––
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000––

Staff and money

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

Teachers9.0full-time equivalent, 10 people
Pupils per teacher20.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants12.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,619
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.72024/25

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£7,692England £7,738. Total £1.4m
Income per pupil£7,383England £7,697. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,168England £3,480
Money in reserve2%Very little put by: £32k, £176 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£56kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,692spent 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 m42612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate130 per 1,000 people43% higher than the England average
Typical house price£200,000Wakefield
Nearest bus stop30 mCommon Rd Mill Close, 8 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
South Kirkby AcademyAcademy160 m186Good 20237Compare
Northfield Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles348Requires improvement 202291Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, MoorthorpeAcademy1.4 miles204Good 202234Compare
Moorthorpe Primary School With Inclusion ResourceCouncil1.4 miles216Good 202410Compare
Grove Lea Primary SchoolAcademy1.7 miles244No overall grade 202592Compare
South Elmsall Carlton Junior and Infant SchoolCouncil1.7 miles454Good 202212Compare
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles119Good 20226Compare
St Helen's CE Primary SchoolAcademy1.9 miles215Good 202356Compare
Primary schools in WakefieldPrimary schools in PontefractBest primary schools in England

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats44%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 38 is 6 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 44 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Lacewood Primary SchoolCouncil4.7 miles242Good 202351Compare
England Lane AcademyAcademy8.8 miles225Outstanding 202495Compare
Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy12.9 miles215Outstanding 202471Compare
Grange Lane Infant AcademyAcademy13.0 miles251Outstanding 202395Compare
Crookesbroom Primary AcademyAcademy13.2 miles207Good 202296Compare
Thurcroft Infant SchoolAcademy13.8 miles232No overall grade 202578Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 38 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 38% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 18 to 66. 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 years0%no data
–
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.31
Ofsted report card, 0.8 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
–
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.08
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.37
2024/25; 109 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
–
What parents say5%in line
-0.01
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 22 responses

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 South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School a good school?

It is about average. South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School scores 38 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 44% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 18 to 66, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 25 November 2025 it rated teaching as strong, achievement as strong, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as strong.

How many pupils does South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School have?

208 pupils aged 2 to 7 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 258 places, so it is 81% full.

Is South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 26 places were empty in 2024/25 (14% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School?

Pupils were in school 92.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 30% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School?

86% of the 22 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 95% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery School?

The average class had 25.8 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
Common Road, South Kirkby, Pontefract, WF9 3EA
Telephone
01977 651918
Website
wwwcommonroadschool.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs DANIELLE EDWARDS
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-7, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Wakefield
Ward
South Elmsall and South Kirkby
Constituency
Normanton and Hemsworth
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 1996
URN
130864 · LAESTAB 3842186 · UKPRN 10080748
Official recordOfsted reportsGovernment performance tablesDownload this school's data (CSV)

Where these figures come from