Scarcroft Primary School, which is part of the South Bank Multi Academy Trust, has been rated ‘Good’ after it was inspected for the first time since leaving local authority control in April 2016..
Headteacher at Scarcroft Primary School, Paul Edwards, said “I am hugely proud of this great outcome and the whole school community. The strong sense of community is something the inspectors commented on and this outcome definitely reflects how well the Scarcroft staff, parents, governors and pupils work and learn together.”
The Ofsted report which follows a two-day inspection last month, states that “Pupils at Scarcroft Primary School are safe and happy.” It recognises the high level of support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), also praising other pupils “who are supportive of their peers with SEND.”
The report highlights how “Curriculum planning is detailed and well sequenced” and that “subject leadership is strong.” Inspectors also found that “children learn to read quickly.” Inspectors also praised the school leaders who “ensure pupils develop as active citizens.”
Throughout the report, inspectors highlight areas in which the school is working hard to provide educational excellence, making particular mention of the early years staff who “are highly knowledgeable and ambitious for children’s learning.”
Inspectors also reported that “The chief executive officer (CEO), trustees and governors are highly knowledgeable and deeply committed to the school,” noting the positive ethos and collaborative way of working between all senior leaders. The report also notes that staff highly value the training opportunities available to them, that staff feel workload is well managed and that morale is very high.
Mark Hassack, CEO of South Bank Multi Academy Trust added “Huge congratulations to Paul and the team at Scarcroft Primary School. This is an excellent outcome for everyone and the positive feedback in the report is testament to the hard work of everyone within the school community. I know colleagues work hard every day to provide an excellent education for their children, but they also go the extra mile for students with additional needs as well as providing opportunities to help all pupils prepare for life after primary school and beyond.
“Following this positive outcome, we will be working with Paul and the team on further improvements, but most importantly, we will continue to do what we do well, and that is making sure that pupils feel safe and happy at our school.”
Inspectors identified two areas for improvement, namely using assessment strategies consistently and continuing to address and improve pockets of poor behaviour in school.
Scarcroft Primary School was previously given the top Ofsted rating of ‘outstanding’ back in 2009.
South Bank Multi Academy Trust has six schools in York: York High School, Millthorpe School, Carr Junior School, Knavesmire Primary School, Scarcroft Primary School and Woodthorpe Primary School.
You can read the Ofsted report here.
5 December 2022
