School Chooser

Towngate Primary Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy311 pupilsNurseryOssettWakefield
School Chooser Score
25
Below
similar schools
Likely range 12 to 48, so it could be “well below”
Out of 100. Better than 7% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
Reached the expected level at 1149%England 63%
Attendance96.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families13%Far fewer than most schools
Places4 spare311 pupils, 315 places
Pupils per teacher25.1School workforce census
Pupils on roll311Census January 2026

Towngate Primary Academy is a converter academy in Ossett for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 311 pupils and room for 315. About 12 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 25 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 7% of the 50 schools most like it.

Whitley Spring Road, Ossett, WF5 0QA01924 302865towngate.inspirepartnership.org.ukMrs Annabel Berry head of schoolAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1149%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score101.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 54%54%20172018: 72%72%20182019: 70%70%20192023: 70%70%20232024: 71%71%20242025: 49%49%2025
Since 2017: -5%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017WakefieldEngland
Pupils tested414546303228
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths49%71%70%70%72%54%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%11%4%13%16%14%9%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score101.0106.0106.0105.0106.0102.0104.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0104.0105.0105.0105.0102.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0105.0107.0104.0108.0105.0104.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard59%84%85%80%81%61%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard61%82%85%83%78%68%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)85%84%76%77%81%89%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.2-0.1-1.4-1.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.2-1.0-1.9-1.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged55%55%53%38%30%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged47%76%77%83%67%

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. 2 of the 4 gaps are 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 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
55%47%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
52%44%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
33%49%
Gap 16 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 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.

A few spare places278 pupils for 315 places, 2024/25
88% full

About 37 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 13% 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.

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 roll311Census January 2026
Places31599% full
Pupils from low-income families12%13% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English8%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support7%22 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.311 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils9%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)14%£58,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls156 / 155
White British pupils81%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (12), Specific learning difficulty (6), language and communications needs (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Moderate learning difficulty (1), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll311306284274271287
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals12%15%17%14%16%17%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language8%9%2%3%4%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support9%10%17%9%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%3%3%3%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school7.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.6%4.8%5.5%5.7%2.6%3.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.0%3.8%4.4%5.0%2.2%2.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%1.0%1.2%0.7%0.4%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence7.3%12.1%11.8%12.6%5.4%3.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.02.50.00.71.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers12.3full-time equivalent, 13 people
Pupils per teacher25.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£45,855
Teachers who left in the year36%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.12024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£5,525England £7,128. Total £1.7m
Income per pupil£5,762England £7,587. Total £1.7m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,604England £3,405
Money in reserve13%A healthy amount put by: £228k, £752 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£72kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,525spent 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 m12812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate67 per 1,000 people26% lower than the England average
Typical house price£200,000Wakefield
Nearest bus stop140 mMilner Way, 15 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
Ossett Flushdyke Junior and Infant SchoolFoundation550 m111Good 202263Compare
Ossett Holy Trinity CofE VA Primary SchoolChurch of England730 m341No overall grade 202430Compare
Ossett South Parade PrimaryCouncil840 m418Good 202437Compare
Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior SchoolChurch of England850 m336No overall grade 202598Compare
Dimple Well Infant School and NurseryFoundation0.7 miles161Good 202259Compare
South Ossett Infant AcademyAcademy0.8 miles71Good 202363Compare
St Ignatius Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles138Not inspected83Compare
Gawthorpe Community AcademyAcademy1.2 miles231Good 202250Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Towngate Primary Academy with the 44 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 44 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats7%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 25 is 26 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 12 · middle 51 · highest 97100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 44 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Towngate Primary Academy, 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
Ossett Holy Trinity CofE VA Primary SchoolChurch of England730 m341No overall grade 202430Compare
Rothwell Primary SchoolCouncil5.7 miles310Good 202362Compare
Mapplewell Primary SchoolAcademy7.2 miles343Good 202488Compare
Rufford Park Primary SchoolFoundation13.3 miles325Good 202274Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 25 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 25% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 12 to 48. 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
-0.07
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 41 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.06
DfE progress measure; 41 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.21
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.12
2024/25; 260 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 41 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 Towngate Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Towngate Primary Academy scores 25 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 7% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 12 to 48, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

How good are Towngate Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 49% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Towngate Primary Academy have?

311 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 315 places, so it is 99% full.

Is Towngate Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 37 places were empty in 2024/25 (12% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Towngate Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 96.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 7% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Towngate Primary Academy?

The average class had 28.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 9% of classes 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
Whitley Spring Road, Ossett, WF5 0QA
Telephone
01924 302865
Website
towngate.inspirepartnership.org.uk
Head of School
Mrs Annabel Berry
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Inspire Partnership Multi Academy Trust (9 schools)
Local authority
Wakefield
Ward
Ossett
Constituency
Ossett and Denby Dale
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 August 2016 (academy converter)
URN
143078 · LAESTAB 3842129 · UKPRN 10057445
Formerly
Towngate Primary School

Where these figures come from