Orchard Head Junior and Infant and Nursery School
Orchard Head Lane, Pontefract, WF8 2NJ
335 pupils · 106% of 315 capacity
- Phase
- Primary
- Type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3–11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Trust
- PONTEFRACT ACADEMIES TRUST
- Local authority
- Wakefield
- Free school meals
- 23.1%
Ofsted
Good (2019) — Rated under the pre-September 2024 inspection system
This school has not yet been inspected under the report-card system introduced in November 2025. When it is, this section will show a grade for each area — Ofsted says the new grades do not map onto the old ones, so we do not predict them.
Inspected 7 November 2019, published 26 November 2019. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Reaching the expected standard in reading, writing & maths | 89% |
| Reaching the higher standard | 26% |
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Roughly one first choice per place — 1.22 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 45 | 55 | 92 | 45 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 42 | 60 | 120 | 42 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 42 | 41 | 93 | 42 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 44 | 49 | 84 | 44 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 45 | 54 | 86 | 45 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 44 | 33 | 71 | 40 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 44 | 54 | 94 | 44 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 45 | 42 | 74 | 45 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Willow Green Academy 1.4 km · Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system
- St Giles C of E Academy 1.5 km · Improved significantly (2025)
- Holy Family and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy 1.5 km · Good — confirmed 2022 · previous system
- Cherry Tree Academy 1.6 km · Requires improvement (2024) · previous system
- De Lacy Primary School 1.9 km · Outstanding (2024) · previous system
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Pontefract 2 km · Good (2024) · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.