Shay Lane Primary (J and I) School
General Information
- Address: Shay Lane, Crofton, Wakefield, WF4 1NN – View on map
- Phone: 01924862600
- Website: Visit school website
- Headteacher: Mrs Michelle Melgram
- Age range: 3-11 years
- Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 32 families put it first for 30 places – 11 for every 10 places. 88% of them were offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 10 · 2025 10 · 2026 11
- Sixth form: No
- Intake: Mixed
- Religious character: Does not apply
- Nursery provision: Yes
Who goes here
- Pupils eligible for free school meals: 43
- % eligible for free school meals: 19.3%
- Pupil mix: 4 in 10 (similar to the Wakefield average)
- English as an additional language: 4% (England 22%)
Staff
Teachers leaving each year
- Teacher turnover: 8.1% a year (Wakefield 16.5%, typical in England 13.9%)
- Where they went: about 0% moved to another school, 100% 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. This is a small staff, so one or two teachers leaving moves the figure a lot.
Behaviour
Awaiting Data
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: 6.1%
- Persistently absent pupils: 16.2%
- Data year: 2024/25
SEN
No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision
- Pupils on SEN Support: 12.4%
- Pupils with an EHC Plan: 7.3%
- Data year: 2025/26
Most common needs - SEN Support
- Other difficulty or disability: 9 pupils
- Speech, language and communications needs: 5 pupils
- SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need: 5 pupils
- Physical disability: 2 pupils
- Hearing impairment: 2 pupils
Most common needs - EHC Plan
- Speech, language and communications needs: 8 pupils
- Specific learning difficulty: 3 pupils
- Autistic spectrum disorder: 3 pupils
- Physical disability: 2 pupils
- Social, emotional and mental health: 1 pupil
These figures show the makeup of the school.
Educational Attainment
Good 2024 report
Year 6 SATs results
- Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 62% (England 62%)
- Reached the higher standard: 3% (England 8%)
- Compared with the area: in line with the Wakefield average (63%)
- Compared with schools with similar pupils: As expected (3-year average 60% against an expected 59%)
- 3-year average (expected standard): 60%
- Expected standard by subject: Reading 69% · Writing 62% · Maths 69% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 66%
- Average test scores: reading 103, maths 103
- Based on: 29 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
Year 6 SATs: joint 55th of 98 junior and primary schools in the area
- =53Willow Green Academy63%
- =55Airedale Junior Academy62%
- =55Shay Lane Primary (J and I) School62%
- #57Castleford Park Junior Academy61%
- =58Gawthorpe Community Academy60%
Click to see the full ranking
View full Ofsted inspection report
44th of 75 primary schools in Wakefield for Ofsted rating
- #42Sandal Magna Community AcademyGood
- #43Sharlston Community SchoolGood
- #44Shay Lane Primary (J and I) SchoolGood
- #45Simpson's Lane AcademyGood
- #46Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant SchoolGood
Click to see the full ranking
Financials
Spending per pupil: £6,495 (2024-25)
35th of 92 primary schools in Wakefield for spending per pupil
- #33Upton Primary School£6,555
- #34Simpson's Lane Academy£6,497
- #35Shay Lane Primary (J and I) School£6,495
- #36St Michael's CofE Academy£6,491
- #37Outwood Primary Academy Bell Lane£6,477
Click to see the full ranking
View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)