Schools
There are a number of schools in Ackworth. The details below come straight from the websites as at March 2024.
Primary Schools
1. Mill Dam (Click here for website)
Welcome to Mill Dam School. I am very privileged to have returned full time as headteacher at Mill Dam and to have been associated with the school as headteacher and executive headteacher since 2018.
Mill Dam is a caring, friendly school where we have high expectations for every member of our community. We have recently grown to be fully one form entry offering provision from age 3 to 11. Alongside the extension of the building we have extensive grounds including growing areas, wild areas, pets and forest school provision.
I hope you find this website welcoming and helpful in finding out more about life at Mill Dam. We welcome visitors to school. Please come and see us.
I look forward to working with you.
Mrs Thompson
Headteacher
2. Bell Lane (Click here for website)
Outwood Primary Academy Bell Lane is based in the picturesque village of Ackworth, in the metropolitan borough Wakefield in West Yorkshire.
We are a welcoming and supportive academy, with a relentless determination to provide the very best education for every child. We place children at the centre of everything we do, with a focus on creating a culture of success and a positive climate for learning.
OPA Bell Lane joined the Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT) in 2018. As a member of the Outwood Family we believe in putting Children First, raising standards and transforming lives.
Principal
Rebecca Pattison
3. Ackworth Howard (Click here for website)
As Headteacher, I am proud to welcome you to Ackworth Howard CE School and our website.
The core purpose of our vision is to provide opportunities for growth in mind, body and spirit to ensure the holistic development of all who work and learn here. Our vision captures all that we stand for and aspire to be, building on the work of the past 187 years!
We understand that parents play a vital role in the education of their children and so value the many ways that they engage with the school and their children’s education. We work closely with families to enable each child to achieve their potential. As a school, our role is to support this understanding through the development and delivery of a broad and balanced, local curriculum. By creating opportunities which engage and challenge children, their potential begins to be realised. You can find out about our curriculum in our curriculum brochure.
Once these fundamental principles become rooted deep within each child, they can flourish. They are ready to use their talents, demonstrate resilience and maturity, and discover the world from a new perspective.
As a Church of England school we are committed to our Christian ethos in which children feel confident about their work, and enjoy belonging to a community that encourages independence and respect. The vision for the future of our school clearly shows that the children are at the heart of everything we undertake here. We are ensuring that the community that was built on Christian values and learning continues to be shaped through compassion, forgiveness, friendship and trust.
I hope that you will find our website interesting and informative and that it gives you a flavour of life at the Howard School. If you are a prospective parent please contact us to arrange a visit to see our wonderful school in action. We look forward to meeting you.
Mr Michael Walker
Headteacher
Educating ‘for life in all its fullness.’
Secondary Schools
4. Oakfield Park (Click here for website)
We are a Local Authority maintained secondary school providing ‘Outstanding education’ (Ofsted Oct 2019) for young people aged 11-19 years with severe, complex or profound and multiple learning difficulties. Many of our students have additional needs including Autism, sensory impairment, challenging behaviour, medical and physical difficulties.
We pride ourselves on the fact that Oakfield Park School provides our young people with a safe, stimulating, happy and friendly environment where they are surrounded by knowledgeable, dedicated and passionate staff. Students then thrive and learn through accessing vibrant and engaging opportunities.
Our ethos is very much focused on developing all our students communication, social interaction, life skills and community access. Through working in partnership with all stakeholders, parents, carers, respite centres, social care and multi-disciplinary teams our students can then transfer and generalise all their skills so that they are able to lead as independent a life as possible and successfully transition onto the next phase of their lives, fully prepared for the journey.
Here at Oakfield Park we have created our own individual, bespoke and relevant curriculum which we believe meets the needs of all our many and varied students.
Our mission statement is for all our students to develop a ‘voice’, to be as independent, social and healthy as possible, enabling them to become citizens who engage positively with society, whilst leading happy and fulfilled lives.
Nicola Cryer
Interim Headteacher
Primary and Secondary School
5. Ackworth School (Click here for website)
Welcome to Ackworth School.
Ackworth has always been a co-educational, boarding and day school. For over 240 years, we have maintained a passion for teaching and learning. We are proud of our traditions and family values, but equally proud of our innovative approach to co-education.
Ackworth is a dynamic and forward-thinking school. We strive to develop resilient individuals who not only think creatively, but also act ethically and with responsibility. We encourage our students to express themselves with confidence, to embody the Quaker value of speaking respectfully to others, but also in a way that is true to themselves and their beliefs.
Located in a beautiful rural setting in Yorkshire, we offer broad educational opportunities from nursery age to sixth form, for day pupils and boarders.
Some of these opportunities are:
- proven academic performance
- a safe and supportive atmosphere
- the strength of quiet reflection
- excellent sport, music, drama, visual arts and recreational facilities
Please come and visit us. I look forward to welcoming you to Ackworth.
Anton Maree
Head