School Chooser

Wood Bank School

Special · ages 4-11MixedCouncil142 pupilsHalifaxCalderdale
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, April 2024
Reached the expected level at 110%England 63%
Attendance87.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families55%Far more than most schools
PlacesFull142 pupils, 70 places
Pupils per teacher10.3School workforce census

Wood Bank School is a council special school in Halifax for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 142 pupils, 72 more than it has places for. About 55 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Dene View, Luddenden, Halifax, HX2 6PB01422 884170woodbank.calderdale.sch.ukMrs Jenna Port headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 18 April 2024 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

18 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 110%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading scoreOfficial name: Reading average scaled score
Maths scoreOfficial name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 0%0%20172018: 0%0%20182019: 0%0%20192023: 0%0%20232024: 0%0%20242025: 0%0%2025
Since 2017: +0%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017CalderdaleEngland
Pupils tested18161010811
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0105.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score100.0104.3104.6
Expected level: readingReading expected standard0%0%0%10%0%0%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard0%0%0%10%0%0%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)0%0%0%0%0%0%
Reading progressReading progress score-6.8-1.1-1.9-1.2
Maths progressMaths progress score-6.5-2.3-1.4-1.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged0%0%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged0%0%

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. Every gap at this school 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 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 21 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 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.

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 Calderdale council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll142Census January 2026
Places70203% full
Pupils from low-income families55%55% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English16%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support0%0 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan100%142 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)52%£114,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls111 / 31
White British pupils62%

Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with autism, hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties, multi-sensory impairment, other needs, physical disability, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, specific learning difficulties, visual impairment.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Calderdale with autism provision.

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (93), Severe learning difficulty (24), Profound and multiple learning difficulty (9), emotional and mental health (4), Multi-sensory impairment (3), language and communications needs (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll14214012211210991
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals55%53%49%49%47%46%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language16%17%19%21%26%31%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support0%0%0%0%1%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans100%100%100%99%99%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 87.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance87.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school35.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence12.4%13.5%13.1%12.4%6.1%8.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence11.1%11.8%11.3%9.6%5.6%6.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.7%1.9%2.8%0.5%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence35.9%48.5%44.8%39.3%19.8%27.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.70.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers13.7full-time equivalent, 15 people
Pupils per teacher10.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants60.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£56,354
Teachers who left in the year24%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.92024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£27,204England £32,258. Total £3.8m
Income per pupil£27,692England £32,367. Total £3.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£8,929England £11,930
Money in reserve39%A lot put by: £1.5m, £11k per pupil. England 7%
Money in against money out+£68kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£27,204spent 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 m9812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate68 per 1,000 people25% lower than the England average
Typical house price£187,500Calderdale
Nearest bus stop60 mDene View, 17 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 schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Luddenden CofE SchoolAcademy90 m108Requires improvement 202135Compare
Midgley SchoolAcademy750 m58Good 202266Compare
Brearley Hall SchoolIndependent900 m37Not inspectedCompare
Luddendenfoot AcademyAcademy0.8 miles202Outstanding 202395Compare
Warley Town SchoolCouncil1.3 miles129Good 202355Compare
Scout Road AcademyAcademy1.3 miles104Good 202372Compare
The Calder Learning TrustAcademy1.4 miles1,250Good 202255Compare
Trinity Academy St Peter'sAcademy1.6 miles94Good 202339Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Wood Bank School a good school?

Wood Bank School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in April 2024.

What is Wood Bank School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Wood Bank School good at its last full inspection on 18 April 2024.

How good are Wood Bank School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 0% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Wood Bank School have?

142 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 70 places, so it is 203% full.

What is attendance like at Wood Bank School?

Pupils were in school 87.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 36% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

Does Wood Bank School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It is a special school for autism, hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties, multi-sensory impairment, other needs, physical disability, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, specific learning difficulties, visual impairment. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Dene View, Luddenden, Halifax, HX2 6PB
Telephone
01422 884170
Website
www.woodbank.calderdale.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Jenna Port
Type of school
Council special school (Community special school, special schools)
Phase
Special school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Calderdale
Ward
Luddendenfoot
Constituency
Calder Valley
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
107590 · LAESTAB 3817008 · UKPRN 10077005

Where these figures come from