Helmsley Community Primary School

Helmsley Community Primary School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in its first inspection since becoming an academy. The school is highly regarded by its community, with pupils demonstrating a calm and respectful attitude towards learning. Leaders have established high expectations, fostering a safe and supportive environment where pupils excel academically and personally. Notably, the school promotes reading effectively and provides opportunities for pupils to engage in various extracurricular activities, enhancing their personal development. However, some areas require attention to further improve the educational experience offered to younger children, aiming to support their independence and learning continuity.

Strengths

• Strong focus on reading with a wide range of ambitious texts.
• Exceptional behaviour and positive relationships among pupils.
• Inclusive culture effectively supporting pupils with SEND.
• High levels of pupil engagement in physical activities and personal development.
• Effective leadership with a strong commitment to staff well-being.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent use of assessment information in physical education and art and design.
• Limited opportunities for younger children to make independent choices.

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 Helmsley Community Primary School attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.8% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Helmsley Community Primary School 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 Helmsley Community Primary School had 20.1 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, 14.7% of pupils at Helmsley Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% 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 Helmsley Community Primary School received £6,608 and spent £6,685 for each of its 164 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £0 (£2 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Areté Learning Trust, income was £7,175 and spending £7,249 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 (North Yorkshire) · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

Helmsley Community Primary School is part of Areté Learning Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Ryedale School York
• Kirkbymoorside Community Primary School York
• Sinnington Community Primary School York
• Norton School Malton
• Stokesley School Stokesley
• Mill Hill Primary School Northallerton
• Northallerton School & Sixth Form College Northallerton
• Broomfield School Northallerton
• Nunthorpe School & Sixth Form Middlesbrough
• Richmond School & Sixth Form College Richmond

What is Helmsley Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Helmsley Community Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Helmsley Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Helmsley Community Primary School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Helmsley Community Primary School have?

Helmsley Community Primary School has 177 pupils on roll.

What age range does Helmsley Community Primary School cover?

Helmsley Community Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Helmsley Community Primary School?

Helmsley Community Primary School is at Carlton Lane, Helmsley, York, North Yorkshire, YO62 5HB.