Primary school

Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School

  • Voluntary Aided School
  • ages 4–11
  • Mixed
  • Church of England
  • Wakefield
  • WF2 6AS
Ofsted areas (no overall grade) · inspected Jan 2025

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Results · 2024/25

Ranked 13,162 of 15,057 primaries in England · top 88%

Top % in England, by year
2015/16: top 82%82%2016/17: top 76%2017/18: top 31%2018/19: top 15%15% · 2018/192022/23: top 92%2023/24: top 75%2024/25: top 88%No exams

Against Yorkshire and The HumberArrows: Yorkshire and The Humber rank change since 2018/19

Expected standard, RWM45% · Yorkshire and The Humber 64%2/10 Well below Yorkshire and The Humber−78.1 pts
Higher standard, RWM3% · Yorkshire and The Humber 6%3/10 Below−26.5 pts
Reading score102 · Yorkshire and The Humber 1051/10 Well below Yorkshire and The Humber−88.9 pts
Maths score102 · Yorkshire and The Humber 104.52/10 Well below Yorkshire and The Humber−47.3 pts
Show KS2 results by year

No exams 2019/20–21Not published 2021/22

Expected standard, RWM
2015/16: 38% · 65 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 50%2016/17: 51% · 82 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 60%2017/18: 74% · 87 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 65%2018/19: 82% · 85 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 66%2022/23: 38% · 87 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 60%2023/24: 52% · 88 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 62%2024/25: 45% · 88 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 64%82%38%No exams
Higher standard, RWM
2015/16: 5% · 65 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 3%2016/17: 5% · 82 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 7%2017/18: 17% · 87 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 7%2018/19: 9% · 85 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 8%2022/23: 2% · 87 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 6%2023/24: 1% · 88 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 6%2024/25: 3% · 88 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 6%17%1%No exams
Reading score
2015/16: 99 · 65 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 1022016/17: 102 · 82 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 1032017/18: 112 · 87 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 1052018/19: 110 · 85 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 1042022/23: 100 · 87 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 1052023/24: 104 · 88 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 1052024/25: 102 · 88 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 10511299No exams
Maths score
2015/16: 101 · 65 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 1032016/17: 104 · 82 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 1042017/18: 107 · 87 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 1042018/19: 106 · 85 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 1052022/23: 100 · 87 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 1042023/24: 104 · 88 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 1042024/25: 102 · 88 pupils · Yorkshire and The Humber 104.5107100No exams

Getting in · 2026

First-choice families who got in100.0%
55 of 55 who put it first2014 · 96.4%2026 · 100.0%
By preference
ChoiceAppliedOffered
1st5555
2nd5311
3rd101

Last distance offered: London only

Inspections · 2007–2025

  • Personal developmentRequires improvement
  • Quality of educationRequires improvement
  • Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
  • Early years provisionRequires improvement
  • Leadership and managementGood
  • SafeguardingEffective
  1. 2007Satisfactory
  2. 2008Outstandingas predecessor
  3. 2011Good
  4. 2013Goodas predecessor
  5. 2014Inadequate
  6. 2015Good
  7. 2019Remains Good
  8. 2025Lowest Requires improvement

Pupils · 2024/25

On roll · Jan 2026608
Free school meals (past 6 years)24.6%
First language not English33.7%
SEN support20.9%
EHC plan4.0%
Absence (sessions missed)5.4%
Persistently absent pupils13.7%

Girls 44.5%Boys 55.5%

96.5% full · 630 places

Parent View

Earlier survey (before Nov 2025) · as at 1 Sep 2025 · 96 responses (15.5% of pupils)

  • My child is happy at this school78.1% agree
  • My child feels safe at this school80.2% agree
  • The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved70.8% agree
  • My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively · 63.5% not applicable31.4% agree
  • The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year79.2% agree
  • When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly · 9.4% not applicable55.2% agree
  • Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?27.1% yes
  • My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed · asked only of the 27.1% who said Yes above42.3% agree
  • The school has high expectations for my child71.9% agree
  • My child does well at this school75% agree
  • The school lets me know how my child is doing62.5% agree
  • There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school82.3% agree
  • My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school92.7% agree
  • The school supports my child's wider personal development60.4% agree
  • I would recommend this school to another parent62.5% yes

Workforce · 2025/26

Pupils per teacher23.9
Pupils per adult11.5
  • Classroom teachers 23.4
  • Leadership 2
  • Teaching assistants 25.7
  • Other support 14.5

Teachers 25.4 FTE · Whole workforce 65.6 · 122 people

Financials · 2025/26

Income per pupil£6,400
Spend per pupil£6,356
Staff spend per pupil£5,036
Reserve per pupil£380
  • +£230,962revenue reserve
  • +£26,414in-year balance

Grants £6,104 · self-generated £449 · premises £303 per pupil