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Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School

Primary · Mixed · Ages 4–11 · Voluntary aided

Barnsley Road, Wakefield WF2 6AS · sandalcastleprimary.co.uk · 01924 303525

On the mapSearch near WF2 6AS

Overview

Ofsted
No overall grade
2019 framework · inspected Jan 2025
Key stage 2, 2024/25
45%
reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Wakefield 63%, England 62%
Demand for places
0.8
first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
Pupils
608
97% of 630 places
Local authority
Wakefield
Nursery class
No
Free school meals
24.3%
First language not English
37.3%
School census 2025/26

The official school record (Department for Education)

Admissions

For Reception in September 2026, 55 families put the school first and 68 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.

First choices against places

20222023202420252026September 2022: 85 (Places 87)85September 2023: 67 (Places 89)67September 2024: 62 (Places 79)62September 2025: 62 (Places 81)62September 2026: 55 (Places 68)55Places 68
ReceptionPlacesFirst choicesPer place% offered
September 2026Sept 202668550.8100%
September 2025Sept 202581620.8100%
September 2024Sept 202479620.8100%
September 2023Sept 202389670.8100%
September 2022Sept 20228785195%

Results

In 2024/25, 45% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 3% the higher standard. Across Wakefield it was 63%, and across England 62%.

Expected standard reading, writing and maths

2019/20 to 2021/22: no school results published15/1616/1717/1818/1922/2323/2424/252015/16: 38% (England 53%)38%2016/17: 51% (England 61%)51%2017/18: 74% (England 64%)74%2018/19: 82% (England 65%)82%2022/23: 38% (England 60%)38%2023/24: 52% (England 61%)52%2024/25: 45% (England 62%)45%England 62%
2024/25TrendSchoolEngland
Reading, writing and maths
▼45%62%
▼3%8%
Average scaled score
▼102106
▼102105
●103105

Ofsted

Ofsted inspected Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School on 7 January 2025 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.

Overall
No overall grade
Inspected
7 Jan 2025
Graded inspection

Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports

Graded areas

Quality of educationRequires improvement
Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
Personal developmentRequires improvement
Leadership and managementGood
Early yearsRequires improvement

Previously: Remains Good, ungraded inspection, Oct 2019

Earlier inspections

September 2019 to November 2025

  • Oct 2019Ungraded inspectionRemains Good
    SafeguardingEffective

Before September 2019

  • Jun 2015Good
    Outcomes for pupilsGood
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentGood
    Leadership and managementGood
    Early yearsGood
  • Feb 2014Inadequate
    Outcomes for pupilsInadequate
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentInadequate
    Leadership and managementInadequate

What parents said

63% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (96 replies, to 1 September 2025).

Recommend
63%
Replies
96
16% · 1 Sept 2025
Child is happy at school▼78% agreeEngland 89%
Child feels safe▼80% agreeEngland 90%
Pupils are well behaved▼71% agreeEngland 84%
School has high expectations▼72% agreeEngland 84%
Child does well▼75% agreeEngland 87%
Told what child will learn▼79% agreeEngland 84%
Told how child is doing▼63% agreeEngland 85%
Good range of subjects▼82% agreeEngland 91%
Can join clubs and activities●93% agreeEngland 91%
Supports personal development▼61% agreeEngland 79%
Concerns are dealt with properly▼55% agreeEngland 77%

based on the 91% who raised concerns

Bullying dealt with quickly▼31% agreeEngland 50%

based on the 36% who had a child bullied

Gets the SEND support they need▼43% agreeEngland 67%

based on 26 parents (27%) with SEND

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