St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School
Mill Bank, Sowerby Bridge, HX6 3EJ
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Ms Yvette Sullivan
- Diocese
- Diocese of Leeds (ce)
- Constituency
- Calder Valley
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 105
- Pupils on roll
- 61
- URN
- 107538
- Local authority
- Calderdale
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01422823353
About this school
St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Sowerby Bridge. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 61 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 16 | 13 | 12 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 56% | 92% | 83% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 13% | 15% | 8% |
| Expected standard in reading | 69% | 100% | 92% |
| Expected standard in maths | 63% | 92% | 83% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 75% | 92% | 92% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 105.0 | 109.0 | 110.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 103.0 | 106.0 | 110.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.70 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +2.90 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -0.70 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Calderdale average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 56% | 59.2% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 92% | 57.8% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 83% | 60.6% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.2% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 3.3% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.6% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 97 |
| 2023/24 | 81 |
| 2024/25 | 70 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School compares
St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School ranked 7th of 76 primary schools in Calderdale for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 91% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 93% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 83% | 3.6% | 8.6% | 61 | — |
| Triangle CofE VC Primary School | 61% | 3.3% | 13.4% | 173 | 0.8 miles |
| Ripponden Junior and Infant School | 64% | 4.1% | 10% | 171 | 0.9 miles |
| Trinity Academy St Peter's | 71% | 6.6% | 45.5% | 94 | 1.2 miles |
| Barkisland CofE VA Primary School | 76% | 3.4% | 5.7% | 197 | 1.4 miles |
| Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy | 60% | 5.7% | 39.3% | 150 | 1.6 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
- 6 March 2024
-
Ungraded inspection report10 January 2023
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 8.57%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 3.58%
- Persistent absence
- 8%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Triangle CofE VC Primary School0.8 miles
Primary · Sowerby Bridge
-
Ripponden Junior and Infant School0.9 miles
Primary · Sowerby Bridge
-
Trinity Academy St Peter's1.2 miles
Primary · Sowerby Bridge
-
Barkisland CofE VA Primary School1.4 miles
Primary · Halifax
-
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy1.6 miles
Primary · Sowerby Bridge
Other schools in Sowerby Bridge
St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School ranks 2nd of the 10 ranked primary schools in Sowerby Bridge.
- Bolton Brow Primary Academy Primary
- Christ Church Sowerby Bridge CofE (VA) Primary School Primary
- New Road Primary School Primary
- Norland CE School Primary
- Ripponden Junior and Infant School Primary
- Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy Primary
- St John's Primary School In Rishworth Primary
- Triangle CofE VC Primary School Primary
- Trinity Academy St Peter's Primary
- Ryburn Valley High School Secondary
- Trinity Academy Grammar Secondary
- Rishworth School Independent schools
Common questions
- What ages does St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School teach?
- St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Sowerby Bridge.
- Who is the headteacher of St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School?
- The headteacher of St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School is Ms Yvette Sullivan, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School?
- St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School has 61 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School full?
- St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School has capacity for 105 pupils and 61 on roll (58%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School a faith school?
- Yes. St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Leeds (ce).
- Does St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School as having no nursery classes.
- How have St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 56% in 2022/23 and 83% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School compare with other schools in Calderdale?
- St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School ranked 7th of 76 primary schools in Calderdale for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 91% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 93% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School's absence rate?
- St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School's overall absence rate is 3.6% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, St Mary's CofE (VC) J and I School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 29 June 2026.