Featherstone Purston St Thomas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School

Wakefield · WF7 5BG

General information Junior School · 7-11 years Who goes here 314 pupils, 46.5% FSM

Educational attainment Ofsted: Requires improvement

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 20.4% on SEN support Behaviour 7.7% absence rate Staff 29.1% turnover Financials £6,857 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Featherstone Purston St Thomas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School

General Information

Address: George Street, Featherstone, Pontefract, WF7 5BG – View on map
Phone: 01977706063
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mr Mathew Brown
Age range: 7-11 years
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Church of England
Nursery provision: No

Who goes here

314 pupils out of 410 places Plenty of room

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 146
% eligible for free school meals: 46.5%
Pupil mix: 3 in 10 (similar to the Wakefield average)
English as an additional language: 11% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 29.1% a year (Wakefield 16.5%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 29% moved to another school, 71% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Wakefield: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 9 (0.3 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 5 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 2 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Wakefield, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 7.7%
Persistently absent pupils: 23.9%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 20.4%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 2.2%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 20 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 19 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 11 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 4 pupils
Physical disability: 3 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Autistic spectrum disorder: 4 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 3 pupils

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Requires improvement 2024 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 46% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 1% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 17 percentage points below the Wakefield average (63%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Well below (3-year average 44% against an expected 62%)
3-year average (expected standard): 44%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 57% · Writing 67% · Maths 62% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 62%
Average test scores: reading 102, maths 102
Based on: 90 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolWakefield averageEngland↗ Improving Up 11 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 17 percentage points below the Wakefield average (63%).

Year 6 SATs: 86th of 98 junior and primary schools in the area

=82Wakefield St Johns Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior and Infant School48%
#85Upton Primary School47%
#86Featherstone Purston St Thomas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School46%
=87King's Meadow Academy45%
=87Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School45%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Larks Hill Primary School97%
#2Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School94%
=3Halfpenny Lane Junior Infant and Nursery School93%
=3Horbury Bridge Church of England Junior and Infant Academy93%
#5Crigglestone Dane Royd Junior and Infant School91%
=6Jerry Clay Academy90%
=6Outwood Primary Academy Lofthouse Gate90%
#8Orchard Head Junior and Infant and Nursery School89%
=9Carleton Park Junior and Infant School87%
=9Stanley Grove Primary and Nursery Academy87%
=9Stanley St Peters Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School87%
#12Middlestown Primary Academy86%
=13England Lane Academy85%
=13Rooks Nest Academy85%
=15Newton Hill Community School84%
=15Simpson's Lane Academy84%
=17Normanton Junior Academy83%
=17Northfield Primary School83%
=17Outwood Primary Academy Bell Lane83%
#20Outwood Primary Academy Kirkhamgate81%
=21Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School80%
=21De Lacy Primary School80%
#23St Ignatius Catholic Primary School79%
=24Horbury Primary Academy78%
=24St Giles C of E Academy78%
=26Grove Lea Primary School77%
=26St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Pontefract77%
#28The Vale Primary Academy76%
=29Badsworth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School73%
=29Normanton Common Primary Academy73%
=29Ryhill Junior, Infant and Nursery School73%
=29St Michael's CofE Academy73%
=29The Rookeries Carleton Junior and Infant School73%
=29West End Academy73%
#35Outwood Primary Academy Ledger Lane72%
=36Crigglestone Mackie Hill Junior and Infant School71%
=36Featherstone All Saints CofE Academy71%
=36Outwood Primary Academy Newstead Green71%
=36Walton Primary Academy71%
#40Crofton Junior School70%
=41Alverthorpe St Paul's CofE (VA) School 3-11yrs69%
=41English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy69%
#43Ackworth Mill Dam School68%
#44Sandal Magna Community Academy67%
=45Half Acres Primary Academy65%
=45Methodist Voluntary Controlled Junior, Infant and Nursery School: With Communication Resource65%
=45South Hiendley Primary School65%
=45St Botolphs CE Academy65%
=49Ackton Pastures Primary Academy64%
=49Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy64%
=49Darrington Church of England Primary School64%
=49Sharlston Community School64%
=53Outwood Primary Academy Park Hill63%
=53Willow Green Academy63%
=55Airedale Junior Academy62%
=55Shay Lane Primary (J and I) School62%
#57Castleford Park Junior Academy61%
=58Gawthorpe Community Academy60%
=58Ossett Flushdyke Junior and Infant School60%
=58Ossett South Parade Primary60%
=58Wakefield Pinders Primary (JIN) School60%
#62Wrenthorpe Academy59%
=63Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School58%
=63St Helen's CE Primary School58%
=65Outwood Primary Academy Greenhill57%
=65Wakefield St Marys Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School57%
#67The Mount Junior Infant & Nursery School56%
#68St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe55%
=69Ossett Holy Trinity CofE VA Primary School53%
=69Wakefield Flanshaw Junior and Infant School53%
=69Wakefield Lawefield Primary School53%
=72Horbury St Peter's and Clifton CofE (VC) Primary School52%
=72St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Castleford52%
=74Hendal Primary School51%
=74South Elmsall Carlton Junior and Infant School51%
=74St Austin's Catholic Primary School51%
=77Fitzwilliam Primary School50%
=77West Bretton Junior and Infant School50%
=79Cherry Tree Academy49%
=79Towngate Primary Academy49%
=79Wakefield Snapethorpe Primary School49%
=82Ash Grove Primary Academy48%
=82St. John the Baptist Catholic Primary School48%
=82Wakefield St Johns Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior and Infant School48%
#85Upton Primary School47%
#86Featherstone Purston St Thomas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School46%
=87King's Meadow Academy45%
=87Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School45%
#89Oyster Park Primary Academy43%
=90Castleford Three Lane Ends Academy42%
=90Featherstone North Featherstone Junior and Infant School42%
#92Streethouse Junior, Infant and Nursery School40%
#93Newlands Primary School38%
=94Holy Family and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy35%
=94Moorthorpe Primary School With Inclusion Resource35%
#96South Kirkby Academy32%
=97Fairburn View Primary School, Castleford30%
=97Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School30%

View full Ofsted inspection report

7th of 7 junior schools in Wakefield for Ofsted rating

#5Normanton Junior AcademyGood
#6South Kirkby AcademyGood
#7Featherstone Purston St Thomas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior SchoolRequires improvement

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Airedale Junior AcademyGood
#2Altofts Junior AcademyGood
#3Castleford Park Junior AcademyGood
#4Crofton Junior SchoolGood
#5Normanton Junior AcademyGood
#6South Kirkby AcademyGood
#7Featherstone Purston St Thomas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior SchoolRequires improvement

Financials

Spending per pupil: £6,857 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

1st of 7 junior schools in Wakefield for spending per pupil

#1Featherstone Purston St Thomas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School£6,857
#2South Kirkby Academy£6,668
#3Castleford Park Junior Academy£6,287

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Featherstone Purston St Thomas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School£6,857
#2South Kirkby Academy£6,668
#3Castleford Park Junior Academy£6,287
#4Crofton Junior School£6,116
#5Ossett Southdale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School£5,750
#6Normanton Junior Academy£5,476
#7Airedale Junior Academy£4,029

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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