Joseph Norton Academy
Busker Lane, Scissett, Huddersfield, HD8 9JU
- Phase
- Academies
- School type
- Academy special converter
- Ages
- 7 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- WELLSPRING ACADEMY TRUST
- Head Teacher
- Mr Todd Cheetham
- Sponsor
- Wellspring Academy Trust
- SEN provision
- SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
- Constituency
- Ossett and Denby Dale
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 80
- Pupils on roll
- 62
- URN
- 143227
- Local authority
- Kirklees
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01484868218
About this school
Joseph Norton Academy is a special academy in Huddersfield. It teaches children aged 7 to 16 and has 62 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Joseph Norton Academy, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 12 February 2025, where inspectors found that standards have been maintained. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | - | - | 0% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | - | - | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | - | - | 38% |
| Expected standard in maths | - | - | 0% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | - | - | 0% |
| Average scaled score in reading | - | - | 95.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | - | - | 90.0 |
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 9 | 12 | 11 |
| Attainment 8 score | 3.8 | 6.7 | 4.3 |
| Progress 8 score | -2.10 -3.15 to -1.05 | -1.45 -2.25 to -0.65 | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 9.1% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Joseph Norton Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Kirklees average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 3.8 | 40.3 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 6.7 | 41 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 4.3 | 42.7 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 14.4% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 20.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 23.1% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 63 |
| 2023/24 | 60 |
| 2024/25 | 61 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 72.13%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 23.09%
- Persistent absence
- 52.31%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Edan Court School1.2 miles
Special schools · Huddersfield
-
Denby Grange School3.5 miles
Special schools · Wakefield
-
Southgate School5.6 miles
Special schools · Huddersfield
-
Camphill Wakefield (Pennine Camphill Community Ltd)5.8 miles
Other types · Wakefield
-
Ravenshall School5.9 miles
Special schools · Dewsbury
Other schools in Huddersfield
- Barraclough Hall School Special schools
- Castle Hill School Academies
- Edan Court School Special schools
- Fable House Special schools
- Fields Rise School Special schools
- Pivot Academy Special schools
- Southgate School Special schools
- Woodley School and College Special schools
- All Hallows' CofE (VA) Primary School Primary
- Ashbrow School Primary
- Beaumont Primary Academy Primary
- Berry Brow Infant and Nursery Academy Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Joseph Norton Academy teach?
- Joseph Norton Academy teaches children aged 7 to 16. It is a special school in Huddersfield.
- Who is the head teacher of Joseph Norton Academy?
- The head teacher of Joseph Norton Academy is Mr Todd Cheetham, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Joseph Norton Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Joseph Norton Academy, 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 Joseph Norton Academy?
- Joseph Norton Academy has 62 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 7 to 16.
- Is Joseph Norton Academy full?
- Joseph Norton Academy has capacity for 80 pupils and 62 on roll (78%), 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 Joseph Norton Academy a faith school?
- No. Joseph Norton Academy has no designated religious character.
- Is Joseph Norton Academy part of an academy trust?
- Joseph Norton Academy is part of WELLSPRING ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What SEN provision does Joseph Norton Academy have?
- The schools register lists Joseph Norton Academy's special educational needs provision as: SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.
- What is Joseph Norton Academy's absence rate?
- Joseph Norton Academy's overall absence rate is 23.1% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Joseph Norton Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Joseph Norton Academy'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 2 July 2026.