South Kirkby Academy is a smaller than average sized primary school based in the heart of an ex-mining community. South Kirkby is a town in the city of Wakefield in West Yorkshire. The town forms half of the civil parish of South Kirkby and Moorthorpe and has a population of approximately 11,000. South Kirkby is served by two railway stations. The town was first mentioned in 1086 in the Domesday Book, and South Kirkby retains the site of the original Saxon settlement. The town is also home to South Kirkby Colliery football club, who have competed in the FA Cup many times in their history. 

We are proud to be part of Waterton Academy Trust and were rated GOOD by Ofsted in April 2023.

“Leaders are determined that pupils gain knowledge and experience to succeed at school. They have high expectations of pupils. Pupils achieve well. Staff know their pupils and their families well. They look after pupils and ensure they feel safe. Pupils behave well in school.” – Ofsted, 2023

Our curriculum is designed and driven to meet the needs of our unique school community: improving social skills, vocabulary acquisition, and teaching about equality and diversity are the key drivers. Staff at South Kirkby Academy strive to make learning irresistible, foster a love of learning through providing first-hand experiences and share a vision of expanding children’s understanding of ‘Life outside Kirkby’.

Our aim is for all children to be immersed in a curriculum rich in opportunity and experiences for each of the 760 days they are with us in order to develop their cultural capital, equip them with the knowledge and skills required for success at school and beyond. Our children are encouraged to be brave, explore, discover, learn and dream big.

At South Kirkby Academy, we broadly follow the National Curriculum as its design ensures a breadth of knowledge is taught in a memorable and awe-inspiring way. Our inclusion manager and team of pastoral staff deliver a unique curriculum, providing support, motivation and guidance to help children overcome obstacles to their learning. This pastoral offer ensures that family issues, mental health problems and lack of confidence do not present a barrier to children accessing the full curriculum. Children with SEND access a broad curriculum and receive high quality teaching adapted to their needs to ensure they are successful. 

The children at our school are an absolute delight. Our SKA Golden Rule underpins day-to-day life at South Kirkby Academy: we expect everyone who attends, whether they are young or old, to make sure that everyone is safe, happy and learning. We also follow five SKA Values which are to be respectful, kind, inclusive, safe and independent. Our curriculum is underpinned by the saying ‘Life Outside Kirkby’ whereby children are encouraged to explore life outside our community through learning and opportunity. 

South Kirkby Academy is a vibrant, inclusive and nurturing school whose vision is to transform life chances for children through providing excellent teaching, learning and opportunity. We are a forward-thinking and constantly improving school with a skilled team of staff who are dedicated to providing the very best for our children.