Wakefield school, Outwood Primary Academy Kirkhamgate, receives 'outstanding' in all areas following recent Ofsted inspection

The Wakefield primary school, inspected on October 1 and 2, achieved ‘outstanding’ in: the quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; leadership and management; and early years provision.

It follows a previous overall grading of ‘outstanding’ in 2014, but was the school’s first inspection since Ofsted scrapped its overall effectiveness judgement of state-funded schools in September 2024.

Matthew Vickers, Principal at Outwood Primary Academy Kirkhamgate, said: “Outstanding is an exacting standard and represents exceptionality. We are all incredibly proud of the achievement but know we could not have gotten there without our wonderful children, families, community and the wider support from the Outwood Family.”

The report, published following the inspection, said the school provides “an exceptional learning environment where pupils feel safe, valued and supported.” It added that behaviour is “exemplary” and that pupils thrive in the “calm and aspirational environment.”

The report also said that pupils benefit from a “rich and well-delivered curriculum” and that “all pupils are supported to achieve well.”

The report also praised the school for its approach to teaching pupils to read, saying there is “a clear focus on developing pupils’ phonics skills and fostering a love of reading. Staff are experts at teaching children to read. As a result, children learn to read quickly. Staff are highly skilled at identifying pupils who are at risk of falling behind. They provide targeted support to help these pupils catch up. Older pupils also benefit from tailored interventions that improve their reading fluency and comprehension.”