Poppleton Road Primary School

Poppleton Road Primary School is a 391-pupil school in the Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust. This full section 5 inspection found the school performing at the expected standard across most areas: achievement, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, and personal development and wellbeing. Safeguarding standards are met. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are new in post, and the school has recently opened a nursery. Pupils enjoy school, achieve broadly in line with national averages in reading and mathematics by the end of key stage 2, and have improved writing outcomes that are now above average. The curriculum is well sequenced, teaching is generally effective, and pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are well supported to access learning alongside their peers. Early years provision is a notable strength, with children settling quickly and developing communication, social and early reading skills well. Personal development is also well designed, with pupils learning about safety, relationships, enrichment activities and leadership roles. However, attendance and behaviour require attention, as does leadership and governance in those areas. While most pupils attend well and behave appropriately, disadvantaged pupils attend less regularly and persistent absence is above national levels. Some pupils do not consistently meet the school's behaviour expectations, and incidents of unkindness are sometimes repeated; leaders' recent work to improve this is at an early stage and its impact is not yet clear. Pupils are generally safe and bullying is rare, but some are less secure in their understanding of equality and discrimination. The trust is providing additional support, and leaders have suitable strategies in place, but it is too soon to see sustained impact on attendance and behaviour.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture.
• Pupils achieve in line with national averages in reading and mathematics by the end of key stage 2.
• Writing outcomes have improved and are now above national averages.
• Pupils with SEND generally achieve well from their starting points.
• Disadvantaged pupils progress through the curriculum alongside their peers.
• The curriculum is well organised and sequenced, with regular revisiting of prior learning.
• Teachers deliver the curriculum well and regularly check pupils' recall.
• Vocabulary teaching is woven into the curriculum.
• Early years provision is strong, and the new nursery supports children's physical, social, emotional and communication skills.
• Staff work positively with parents and other nurseries to understand children's starting points.
• Inclusion is a strength, with effective identification of barriers and well-tailored SEND provision.
• The personal development programme is well designed and meets statutory requirements.
• Pupils learn how to stay safe, including online and around local risks such as rivers, rails and roads.
• Pupils benefit from enrichment activities, including theatre visits, music and lunchtime clubs.
• Pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, take on leadership roles.
• Pupils generally behave well in lessons and follow instructions.
• Bullying is rare, and pupils feel safe.
• Staff value leaders' support for their wellbeing and workload.
• Most parents and carers report that the school supports their child well.
• Trustees and governors show deep commitment to the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Disadvantaged pupils attend less regularly, and their rates of absence are increasing.
• Persistent absence is above the national average.
• Leaders' approaches to improving attendance have had limited impact for some groups.
• Some pupils do not consistently meet the school's high expectations for behaviour.
• Incidents of unkindness occur and are sometimes repeated.
• The impact of recent behaviour improvement work is not yet evident.
• Work to address gaps in attendance and behaviour is at an early stage.
• Some pupils are less sure about equality and why it is important to understand discrimination.
• Leaders should ensure pupils develop a more secure understanding of equality, including protected characteristics.
• Historical outcomes for disadvantaged pupils are below national averages, although current progress is stronger.
• Last year's phonics outcomes were lower than average, although additional support is helping pupils catch up.
• Governors and trustees recognise there is further work to demonstrate high ambitions for attendance and behaviour.

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 Poppleton Road Primary School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.0% 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, 3.6% of pupils at Poppleton Road 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 Poppleton Road Primary School had 23.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.6% 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, 15.1% of pupils at Poppleton Road Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.2% 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 Poppleton Road Primary School received £6,327 and spent £7,203 for each of its 392 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £142,000 (-£362 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.

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• Secondary Schools

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

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

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

What is Poppleton Road Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Poppleton Road Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Poppleton Road Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Poppleton Road Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Poppleton Road Primary School have?

Poppleton Road Primary School has 404 pupils on roll.

What age range does Poppleton Road Primary School cover?

Poppleton Road Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Poppleton Road Primary School?

Poppleton Road Primary School is at Poppleton Road, York, North Yorkshire, YO26 4UP.