Welcome to Airedale Junior School

Dear Parents/Guardian

I am extremely proud as Head teacher to be able to welcome you to Airedale Junior School. I hope you find our website informative, providing you with a flavour of the vibrant life of our school and the quality education that we strive to deliver.

Our school is a large, four form entry, junior school teaching children from Year 3 to Year 6 and is set in the heart of Airedale, Castleford. We are proud of our school community and value the contribution that we make to the local area.

High expectations permeate throughout our school, and we truly believe in quality, dedication and aspirational thinking in all areas of school life. We believe in every single child and encourage them to strive for greatness through self-belief and determination.

We are committed to providing the very best possible education for every child. We employ a varied and creative approach to education which you can see showcased on the year group pages.

Airedale Junior School holds children’s safety and well-being as paramount in supporting effective learning to take place. We work within the secure knowledge that children feel safe within a happy, stimulating environment; when they are encouraged to enjoy learning and develop a lively and inquisitive mind they can reach their full potential. Our school and children reflect this so please make an appointment to see it in action!

We develop the children’s ability to question and discuss rationally, apply themselves to tasks, develop an ability to organise their work independently and grow in self-confidence while becoming life-long learners. 

We value the contribution that parents make to children’s education and view parents as partners. We believe that our children learn best when school staff and parents work in partnership.

We have a supportive and hard-working board of governors who are highly skilled in different areas.  Governors and staff work together to challenge thinking and ensure our children are provided with the very best learning opportunities.

As Head teacher, I feel I am in a privileged position to drive our school forward. I feel honoured to lead a team of professional, talented and dedicated staff who share my vision and work ethic. We work as a committed team who provide well planned, inspiring lessons and activities to enhance children's learning.

It is my priority that the educational experience the children receive at Airedale Junior School will enable them to fully achieve their academic potential. I want each child to progress confidently into the next phase of their education, filled with positive experiences and an awareness of the endless possibilities that await them as they get older.

It is my commitment to ensure that the children of Airedale Junior School possess the values that enable them to live well in society and equip them with the skills to deal effectively with the challenges that the modern world presents.

Best Wishes

Mrs K  McKechnie - Headteacher

Mrs S Butterfield - Chair of the Academy Council