Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School

Scarborough Northstead Community Primary is a larger-than-average community primary school in an area of above-average deprivation. This was a full section 5 inspection in September 2026, and inspectors found the school performing securely overall, with safeguarding standards met. The school has improved since its previous inspection, and leaders have driven changes to the curriculum, teaching, behaviour and safeguarding. Pupils now achieve broadly in line with national peers at the end of key stage 2, including disadvantaged pupils, and recent work on writing is improving the quality of pupils' work. Early years is a notable strength: children get off to a flying start, routines are calm, phonics and social skills develop quickly, and children are well prepared for Year 1. Inclusion is also strong, with early identification of SEND, effective support in mainstream lessons and a nurturing hub for pupils who need additional help. Pupils behave well, feel safe and benefit from a well-planned personal development programme. Leadership and governance are effective, staff feel well supported, and safeguarding is secure. The main concern is attendance, which is below national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils, and improvements have not been sustained over time. Leaders have prioritised attendance and provide support, but persistent absence needs earlier intervention to remove barriers. Inspectors also want teachers to use assessment more consistently to check understanding and adapt teaching, and leaders to sharpen their monitoring and analysis of how school improvement strategies are affecting provision. These are improvement points rather than serious weaknesses.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve in line with national peers at the end of key stage 2, including disadvantaged pupils.
• Recent curriculum changes, especially in writing, are improving pupils' work.
• Early years provision gets children off to a strong start and prepares them well for Year 1.
• SEND identification and support are swift and effective, including through the hub.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school and have driven improvement since the previous inspection.
• Pupils behave well, feel safe and form warm relationships with staff.
• The personal development programme is well planned, with values, enrichment and pupil leadership.
• Staff feel well supported, with effective professional learning and attention to workload.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance is below national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils, and improvement has not been sustained over time.
• Persistent absence has been too high and requires earlier intervention to remove barriers.
• Teachers sometimes miss opportunities to identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge.
• Assessment is not consistently used well to check understanding and adapt teaching or the curriculum.
• Leaders' monitoring and analysis of school performance could be sharper in evaluating the impact of improvement strategies.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.8% of pupils at Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 17.7% of pupils at Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School received £6,996 and spent £7,054 for each of its 560 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £287,000 (£513 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Scarborough · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

What is Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School have?

Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School has 560 pupils on roll.

What age range does Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School cover?

Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School?

Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School is at Maple Drive, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO12 6LP.