Filey Academy

Filey School is a new school that opened in 2022 after joining the Coast and Vale Learning Trust, replacing a predecessor school that had been judged inadequate. Inspectors found that the school has undergone significant change and is improving in several areas, with better outcomes in some subjects, reduced persistent absence and a significant reduction in bullying and discriminatory language. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and staff, governance and trust leaders are highly committed to improvement. The curriculum has been thoughtfully redesigned, the most important knowledge is clearly identified, and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is carefully considered. Reading support is improving through specialist-led sessions, and pupils benefit from careers advice, local business input and visits to further education settings. Pupils who met inspectors were polite, mature and reflective, and many contribute constructively to school life. However, the school is not yet consistently delivering its intended quality. Curriculum implementation varies, teaching does not always adapt well to pupils’ needs or check understanding before moving on, and some older pupils still have reading and literacy gaps. Persistent absence remains too high for some groups, behaviour management is not consistently effective, and some pupils lack confidence in staff responses to bullying and disruption. Personal development is not as well implemented as it should be, particularly in pupils’ understanding of other faiths, cultures and British values. Leaders acknowledge that several improvement plans are at an early stage.

Strengths

• Curriculum changes have been thoughtfully made and key knowledge is clearly set out
• Support for pupils with SEND is carefully considered and staff receive relevant training
• Reading support is improving through specialist-led extra sessions
• Persistent absence has reduced considerably
• Bullying and discriminatory language have reduced significantly over time
• Pupils who met inspectors were polite, mature and reflective
• Personal, social and health education helps pupils understand how to be respectful, safe and active citizens
• Pupils benefit from independent careers advice, local business input and further education visits
• Governance understands ongoing school improvement priorities
• Staff well-being and workload are managed effectively
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum implementation is not consistently well planned or adapted to meet all pupils’ needs
• Teaching sometimes moves on before checking that pupils have understood new knowledge and skills
• Some older pupils who need help with reading and literacy still have gaps
• Persistent absence remains too high, especially for some vulnerable pupil groups
• Attendance strategies are not focused sharply enough on pupils’ specific barriers
• Behaviour management systems are not as effective as they could be
• Poor behaviour persists and some pupils are suspended too often
• Some pupils lack confidence in staff to address bullying and classroom disruption
• Personal development is not as well implemented as it should be
• Pupils’ understanding of other faiths, cultures and British values is underdeveloped
• Some school improvement plans are at an early stage and recent changes are only beginning to take effect

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 Filey Academy attended 86.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 35.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 17.1% of pupils at Filey Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 Filey Academy had 17.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 32.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 15.8% of pupils at Filey Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Filey Academy received £7,382 and spent £8,198 for each of its 451 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £602,000 (-£1,335 per pupil).

Across all 62 schools of Delta Academies Trust, income was £7,459 and spending £7,562 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 North Yorkshire · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

Filey Academy is part of Delta Academies Trust, which runs 62 schools. The nearest others:

• Scarborough University Technical College Scarborough
• Friarage Community Academy Scarborough
• Newby and Scalby Academy Scarborough
• Scalby Academy Scarborough
• Lady Lumley's Academy Pickering
• The Parks Primary Academy Hull
• Mersey Primary Academy Hull
• Hull Trinity House Academy Hull
• Estcourt Primary Academy Hull
• Craven Primary Academy Hull

What is Filey Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Filey Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Filey Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Filey Academy was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Filey Academy have?

Filey Academy has 461 pupils on roll.

What age range does Filey Academy cover?

Filey Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Filey Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 38.9, and 48% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Filey Academy?

Filey Academy is at Muston Road, Filey, North Yorkshire, YO14 0HG.