Skelton Primary School

Skelton Primary School is performing well overall, achieving a good rating across all inspected areas including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The school fosters a respectful culture where pupils are encouraged to celebrate their uniqueness, which contributes to a positive learning environment. Leaders are committed to broadening pupils' horizons through a variety of activities and community involvement, and the school effectively supports early years children in building positive relationships and essential skills.

Strengths

• Effective implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum.
• Strong focus on pupil behaviour and consistent application of behaviour policies.
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils, especially in early years.
• Opportunities for character development through diverse activities.
• Supportive phonics teaching with additional tutoring for struggling pupils.
• Regular safeguarding training for staff and a strong emphasis on pupil safety.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum does not consistently meet the needs of mixed-age classes.
• Targets for pupils with SEND are not adequately met in practice.

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 Skelton Primary School attended 93.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.7% 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, 5.9% of pupils at Skelton 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 Skelton Primary School had 18.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.0% 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, 9.4% of pupils at Skelton Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.5% 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 Skelton Primary School received £8,690 and spent £12,056 for each of its 95 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £127,000 (£1,342 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Heartwood Learning Trust, income was £8,073 and spending £7,816 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

Skelton Primary School is part of Heartwood Learning Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Poppleton Ousebank Primary School York
• Manor Church of England Academy York
• Forest of Galtres Anglican/Methodist Primary School York
• Vale of York Academy York
• Burton Green Primary School York
• Barlby High School Selby
• Graham School Scarborough
• George Pindar School Scarborough
• Newland St John's Church of England Academy Hull
• St James' Church of England Academy Hull

What is Skelton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Skelton Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Skelton Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Skelton Primary School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Skelton Primary School have?

Skelton Primary School has 106 pupils on roll.

What age range does Skelton Primary School cover?

Skelton Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Skelton Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 100% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Skelton Primary School?

Skelton Primary School is at Brecksfield, Skelton, York, North Yorkshire, YO30 1YB.