Eastborough Academy Review 2026: A small, oversubscribed primary with a sharp focus on reading, oracy and attendance

For a primary, the clearest publicly available results are Key Stage 2 outcomes. Eastborough’s published KS2 headline report for 2025 shows 28 pupils in the cohort. In 2025, 67.9% met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined.

That sits above the England average of 62% provided for the combined expected standard measure.

Higher standard performance in 2025 was 3.6% for reading, writing and mathematics combined, which is below the England average of 8%. The practical implication is that the core expected standard picture is stronger than the “greater depth” picture, a pattern that can suggest teaching is securing the basics for many pupils, while the very top end is a smaller group.

Subject-by-subject, the same 2025 headline report shows:

• Reading expected standard: 75.0%

• Writing expected standard: 75.0%

• Maths expected standard: 71.4%

• Grammar, punctuation and spelling expected standard: 60.7%

Scaled scores in 2025 were published as:

• Reading average scaled score: 104.07143

• Maths average scaled score: 102.60714

• GPS average scaled score: 101.78571

The same report includes a three-year trend table for all pupils showing combined expected standard (reading, writing and maths) moving from 52% (2023) to 48% (2024) to 68% (2025). For parents, this kind of swing usually means it is worth looking beyond a single cohort and asking how the academy is securing consistency across year groups, particularly when the cohort size is small enough for one or two pupils to shift percentages materially.

Curriculum intent is described as “three layers”, with a stated aim of giving pupils progressively developed skills, knowledge and attitudes to support the next phase of education and beyond. Oracy is explicitly positioned as “key” across the academy’s work.

A distinctive feature is the emphasis on reading as a driver across subjects. Reading is described as central, with daily phonics instruction as the early foundation and a Delta reading strategy approach that then builds fluency and comprehension. The practical implication is that families should expect systematic phonics in the early years and structured reading sessions beyond, rather than reading being treated as a bolt-on.

The academy also describes a “book led” curriculum model, where sessions begin with reading for a clear purpose from a driving text or a supplementary text, followed by discussion to deepen enquiry and link knowledge. For pupils, this typically supports vocabulary growth and helps them explain learning across subjects, which ties back to the oracy priority.

For families planning ahead, the most useful action is to check the Kirklees secondary admissions timeline early in Year 6 and understand how distance and criteria apply to your address. Where choices are tight, FindMySchool’s Map Search can help you sanity-check how your location compares with typical allocation patterns before you set expectations for a particular school.

Eastborough’s admissions page states that its admissions policy matches the Kirklees local authority policy and links to local authority admissions information. In other words, Reception entry is not a “direct to school” process in the way some academies operate, it follows the local authority coordinated route.

For Reception entry for September 2026 in Kirklees, applications open on 1 September 2025 and the closing date is 15 January 2026. Offers are issued on National Offer Day, 16 April 2026, with the Kirklees parent portal publishing offers from the morning.

Demand matters here. Reception entry route, Eastborough is marked as oversubscribed, with 42 applications for 26 offers and 1.62. applications per place That is a meaningful level of competition for a small intake, so families should plan preferences carefully, especially if they are aiming for a specific school on the basis of proximity.

Nursery provision is listed as available which means some families may be considering entry at age 3 as well as Reception. For nursery entry, the academy’s site should be your first stop for the process and availability, and eligibility for government-funded hours will depend on your circumstances. Nursery fee figures should be checked on the official pages rather than relying on third-party summaries.

The academy offers a “Virtual Worry Box”, a simple but meaningful mechanism that gives pupils a structured way to flag worries and feelings to staff. For some children, especially those who find it hard to speak up in the moment, this kind of channel can make pastoral support more responsive.

Documents and staffing information also indicate the use of a Thrive approach, including staff roles linked to Thrive and references in strategy documentation. Thrive is commonly used as a structured framework for social and emotional development, and the key question for parents is how it is used day to day, whether it is universal classroom routines, targeted small-group work, or both.

Attendance is treated as a priority, with a stated whole-school target of 96% referenced on the academy site. The existence of a free breakfast club is also referenced in policy and attendance material, which can be a practical support for families, particularly where mornings are a pinch point.

The academy’s published “Academy Day” page confirms that it offers a variety of before and after-school clubs and activities, but it does not list them publicly in that location, instead directing families to the school office for details. Even without a menu of weekly clubs, there are some specific enrichment examples that help show the flavour of wider learning.

One is the Imagination Gaming maths event, described in a news post as an applied maths day built around games and problem solving, including dice-based number challenges and tasks where pupils had to identify the question as well as the answer. The implication is that enrichment is not limited to generic after-school sport, it includes curriculum-linked events designed to shift how pupils think about a subject.

Trips are also positioned as “essential experiences” that extend classroom learning across the breadth of the curriculum and personal development. This matters because, at primary, trips can be the hook that makes writing, vocabulary, and background knowledge stick. When planning, families should expect the usual associated costs for some visits and experiences, as is standard in state primaries.

Published timing indicates breakfast club opens at 8:15am. The school day ends at 3:15pm, with collection arrangements varying by year group.

Wraparound beyond breakfast club is referenced in general terms, with the academy stating it offers a variety of before and after-school clubs and activities, but full wraparound childcare details are not clearly published on the core timing page. If you need a specific end time for after-school care, it is sensible to confirm directly with the school office before relying on it for work commitments.

• Inspection context and timing. Eastborough Academy’s Ofsted page currently shows no report yet, which often happens after academy conversion. The predecessor school at the same address was graded Requires Improvement at its most recent graded inspection on 28 September 2021, with a later monitoring visit in January 2023. Parents may want to ask what has changed since that period, particularly around the areas previously rated Requires Improvement.

• Small cohorts can mean volatile percentages. KS2 results for 2025 are based on 28 pupils, and the three-year trend in the published report shows notable swings in combined expected standard over time. This does not automatically indicate instability, but it does mean you should ask about consistency across cohorts, not just a single headline year.

• Competition for places. Reception entry is oversubscribed with 42 applications for 26 offers (1.62 applications per place). If you are applying for September 2026 entry, make sure you name realistic preferences and understand how local authority criteria apply.

• Wraparound clarity. Breakfast club timings are clear, but if you need after-school provision that runs to a specific time, check directly, as the timing page does not set out an end time for after-school care.

Eastborough Academy looks most suited to families who value a structured primary, clear routines, and a curriculum approach that makes reading and spoken language central. The 2025 KS2 headline results show combined expected standards above the England average, while higher standard outcomes are smaller, suggesting the core focus is getting many pupils securely to expected levels.

Who it suits: pupils who benefit from consistent expectations, systematic reading teaching, and a school culture that treats attendance and punctuality as non-negotiables, plus families who can engage early with Kirklees admissions timelines in an oversubscribed context.