The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form

Brighouse, HD6 3JW · Calderdale · school

Ofsted: Outstanding · 2023 Boys Not applicable
OfstedOutstanding
Pupils83
FSM57.9%
AI summary of the Ofsted report Inspected 2023-11-16 · Tap to collapse

Generated by AI from the official inspection report — not written by Ofsted or SchoolsGPT staff. Always read the full Ofsted PDF before relying on this summary.

Overview: The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form is an outstanding special school for boys with social, emotional, and mental health needs. Pupils benefit from a wide range of experiences that enrich and nurture their understanding of the world, and they are happy because all adults take the time to understand and help them.

Strengths:

  • Teamwork is the underpinning principle of life at The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form, with therapeutic, teaching, catering, behaviour, safeguarding, site and support staff working closely and sharing information successfully.
  • Leaders’ work to understand and support pupils is exceptional, with pupils regularly having a voice through quality-of-life questionnaires that staff conduct.
  • Careers provision and advice are exceptional, with pupils encouraged to speak to adults they encounter about their jobs and completing work experience that is planned very well.

Areas to improve: The report identifies no significant areas for improvement.

Safeguarding: The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Ofsted judgement breakdown (2023-09-13)

Overall effectiveness
Outstanding
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Effectiveness of leadership and management
Outstanding
Safeguarding is effective?
Yes
Sixth form provision (where applicable)
Outstanding

What the entrance test covers

One joint FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise) test for both Calderdale grammar schools (The Crossley Heath School and The North Halifax Grammar School): - English and mathematics papers, age-standardised. - A creative-writing element, assessed for candidates who meet the required standard in English and maths — candidates must meet the qualifying standard in English, maths AND creative writing to be considered. Register once (historically late March to late June of Year 5); the test is sat in mid-September of Year 6 with results by mid-October, before the 31 October application deadline. One sitting serves both schools.

Similar schools nearby

Same area, prioritising the same phase — useful for shortlisting alternatives.

Data sourced from GIAS, Ofsted and official Calderdale admissions publications. Figures can change year to year — always confirm with the school before applying.

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