The building on the High Street, now Crofton Infants School and Early Learning Centre, is the oldest school in the village. It was built in 1877 as Crofton Board School and opened with Headmaster Mr John Glaister and 60 pupils on Tuesday October 2nd.

In November 1884 Mr Glaister died of consumption and a new Headmaster, Mr Samuel Thompson was appointed. By this time the number of children attending the school had doubled to 120. Mr Thompson left for the Lake District in the Summer of 1890 to be replaced by Mr William Sanders. The village was growing in size as more and more mineworkers moved into the houses built for them in New Crofton.

By 1894 a new building was added to the existing school and practically doubled it's size. These premises were opened in February and Mr Sanders was expected to continue teaching 220 children with little assistance and on a lower salary than that of the first headmaster. Not surprisingly he left for London in December that year.

The next Headmaster was Mr William Shaw and he was to remain at the school for 37 years. By 1902 he had managed to increase the number of staff significantly and had five assistant teachers and two monitresses. The Infant Department was run separately by Miss Booth with the help of the Head's wife, Mrs Shaw. As the village continued to grow, two extra classrooms were built to accommodate a further 120 children.

In 1904 the School Board was replaced by the West Riding Education Authority and Crofton Board School became Crofton County Council School. By 1930 the school was once again overcrowded and the children from the Sharlston edge of the village were required to attend the Council School in Sharlston.

Mr Shaw retired in 1932 when his son-in-law, Mr Ian Brogden became Headmaster of the Senior School. Miss Booth retired at around the same time and Miss Rollinson (later Mrs Wales) became Head of the Infants Department.

In 1954, by which time the school leaving age was officially 15, the older pupils moved into Crofton Old Hall with Mr Brogden as Head of Crofton Secondary School. Mr Townsend was appointed Head of Crofton Juniors in the High Street building.

Eventually, in 1968, the Juniors moved into a new school in Slack Lane with Mr Townsend as Head, while the Infants with Mrs Willis as their new Head, took over the whole of the old building.

When Shay Lane School opened in 1972, several staff as well as many pupils transferred.

In 1974 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council replaced the County Council, Mrs Willis had left and Mrs Mellor was the next Head Teacher. She was there in 1977 to celebrate the school's centenary with a week of activities which included staff and pupils dressing in Victorian costume.