King James's School
Huddersfield, HD4 6SG · Kirklees · secondary school
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17th of 25 secondary schools in Kirklees we can score, 27 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Its results hold up when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — 4.3/10 against 823 of them, against 3.9/10 nationally. So this is not simply a reflection of who attends. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 37.0 · 30 | 30% | 0.90 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.0 · 50 | 25% | 1.26 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 43.3 · 35 | 10% | 0.35 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
King James's School overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 47.1% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 48.5, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.0 in 2023/24, meaning pupils performed as well as those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (6.7 out of 10 against similar schools, 5.6 out of 10 against all schools). Ofsted rated the school Good in April 2025.
Getting in
The published school roll is 1,055 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,050. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils in maintaining progress across subjects? What specific support is available for students aiming to improve their attainment scores?
What Ofsted said about King James's School
Overview
King James’s School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. Pupils are happy, articulate, and benefit from positive relationships with staff who hold high expectations for behaviour and academic outcomes. The school provides a calm, purposeful learning environment with a strong focus on personal development and safeguarding.
Strengths
- Pupils are confident they will receive necessary support, with vulnerable learners and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) identified swiftly and taught effectively.
- Reading is a clear priority; staff are well-trained in modelling reading, and pupils quickly become confident, fluent readers.
- There is a "zero-tolerance approach to bullying," and pupils feel safe reporting incidents, knowing staff will tackle them until they stop.
- Leaders consider staff workload when implementing changes, resulting in happy staff and a proactive governing body that holds leaders to account.
- Pupils in key stage 4 feel well prepared for their next steps, with clear aspirations and a strong careers offer.
Areas to improve
- Leaders should ensure staff explicitly teach pupils how ‘golden knowledge’ builds on prior learning, as some pupils struggle to make connections across their learning.
- The school must consistently evaluate the impact of new strategies and initiatives to ensure they positively affect pupils, particularly disadvantaged learners.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 46.8 |
| 2024/25 | 48.5 |
| 2025/26 | 43.3 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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