Huntington Primary Academy

Huntington Primary Academy is a larger-than-average primary school within Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust. Inspectors found it to be performing securely overall: safeguarding is effective, and provision across achievement, behaviour, curriculum, inclusion, leadership and personal development is sound. Leaders know the school well and have driven meaningful improvement since the last inspection, particularly in curriculum consistency, SEND support and staff development. Pupils are happy, safe and generally behave well, and the school’s inclusive ethos is a clear strength. The main area requiring attention is early years, where practice is uneven. Adult interactions do not consistently extend children’s learning, routines and expectations are not always applied consistently, and some learning time is not used purposefully. Across the school, a very small group of pupils who still need to secure basic reading, writing and mathematics are sometimes given tasks that are too complex, and attendance remains a priority for a minority of pupils. Some published outcomes, including in writing and for disadvantaged pupils historically, have been below the school’s ambitions, although targeted support and improvement work are in place. Overall, the school is well led, with strong trust and governor oversight, a broad curriculum and strong personal development. The next steps are to sharpen early years practice, ensure tasks precisely meet pupils’ needs, and accelerate attendance improvements for all groups.

Strengths

• Safeguarding arrangements are effective and pupils feel safe.
• Inclusive culture with swift identification and strong support for pupils with SEND, including complex needs.
• Leaders have an accurate view of the school and a strong commitment to continuous improvement.
• Curriculum is broad and balanced, with consistent delivery and improved staff subject knowledge.
• Staff benefit from tailored professional development and report feeling valued and supported.
• Pupils behave respectfully and classrooms are calm and orderly.
• Personal development is well planned, including PSHE, British values, the HPA experience and pupil leadership.
• Attendance is broadly in line with national averages and improving through proactive support.
• Trust and local governors provide effective support and challenge.
• Parents speak highly of the care and support their children receive.

Areas for Improvement

• Early years practice is inconsistent, particularly in adult interactions that extend children’s learning.
• Routines and high expectations are not applied consistently in early years.
• Some early years learning time is not used purposefully, reducing engagement.
• A very small group of pupils needing to secure basic reading, writing and mathematics are sometimes given tasks that are too complex.
• Attendance for a minority of pupils, including those at risk of persistent absence, still needs rapid improvement.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ published outcomes have historically been below the school’s high expectations, with gaps remaining.
• Recent published writing outcomes have been below national averages, although improvement work is evident.

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 Huntington Primary Academy attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.2% 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 Huntington Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were 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 Huntington Primary Academy had 22.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.0% 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, 14.1% of pupils at Huntington Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.5% 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 2024–25 Huntington Primary Academy received £6,393 and spent £7,082 for each of its 362 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £152,000 (£420 per pupil).

Across all 17 schools of Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,527 and spending £8,307 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in York · York local authority: places and applications

Huntington Primary Academy is part of Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust, which runs 20 schools. The nearest others:

• New Earswick Primary School York
• Hempland Primary School York
• Heworth Church of England Primary School York
• Applefields School York
• Tang Hall Primary Academy York
• Clifton With Rawcliffe Primary School York
• St Lawrence's Church of England Primary School York
• Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy York
• Badger Hill Primary Academy York
• Poppleton Road Primary School York

What is Huntington Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Huntington Primary Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in January 2026.

When was Huntington Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Huntington Primary Academy was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does Huntington Primary Academy have?

Huntington Primary Academy has 347 pupils on roll.

What age range does Huntington Primary Academy cover?

Huntington Primary Academy for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Huntington Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Huntington Primary Academy?

Huntington Primary Academy is at North Moor Road, Huntington, York, North Yorkshire, YO32 9QT.