Starbeck Primary Academy

Starbeck Primary Academy is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in all areas assessed. The school fosters a nurturing and inclusive environment, where pupils feel safe and enjoy their learning. The curriculum is well-structured, allowing pupils to build on their knowledge effectively, particularly in mathematics and reading. Staff commitment and support are highly valued by both parents and pupils, contributing to a positive school culture. This is the school's first inspection since it became an academy in the Northern Star Academies Trust in 2019.

Strengths

• Strong inclusive and caring environment for all pupils
• Well-structured curriculum that supports knowledge development
• Positive behaviour and attitudes towards learning
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• Engaging extracurricular activities fostering personal development
• Strong parental engagement and positive feedback
• Ambitious leadership fostering staff well-being and development

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent approach to developing reading fluency
• Reading books not always aligned with phonics knowledge
• Inconsistencies in pupil behaviour across classes

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 Starbeck Primary Academy attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.8% 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, 1.7% of pupils at Starbeck Primary Academy 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 Starbeck Primary Academy had 26.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 11.5% of pupils at Starbeck Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.0% 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 Starbeck Primary Academy received £6,437 and spent £6,745 for each of its 239 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £349,000 (-£1,461 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Northern Star Academies Trust, income was £7,474 and spending £7,332 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 Harrogate · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

Starbeck Primary Academy is part of Northern Star Academies Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Hookstone Chase Primary School Harrogate
• Willow Tree Community Primary School Harrogate
• Harrogate High School Harrogate
• New Park Primary Academy Harrogate
• Lapage Primary School and Nursery Bradford
• Byron Primary School Bradford
• Meadow Bank Community School Bradford
• Eastwood Community School Keighley
• Parkwood Primary School Keighley
• Victoria Primary School Keighley

What is Starbeck Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Starbeck Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Starbeck Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Starbeck Primary Academy was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Starbeck Primary Academy have?

Starbeck Primary Academy has 234 pupils on roll.

What age range does Starbeck Primary Academy cover?

Starbeck Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 31% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Starbeck Primary Academy?

Starbeck Primary Academy is at High Street, Starbeck, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 7LL.