Welcome, and thank you for your interest in our Headteacher opportunity

Oftsed Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Gillamoor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has maintained that standard at the most recent inspection in November 2024

Gillamoor CE (VC) Primary School is a thriving and highly regarded Church of England School with 64 pupils on roll. Although we are smaller than the average primary school, we have a wide and engaging reach within the local community.

The school was built in 1867 and is now a mix of old Victorian and new buildings, with access to the village playing fields and church just a short walk away, to enhance our onsite facilities. The Victorian building has retained many original features, which brings character as well as challenge.

Gillamoor Church of England VC Primary School is very inclusive and offers a wide ranging extra curricular programme, which provides our pupils with an enriching and aspirational range of activities and trips, allowing them the opportunity to explore wider Britain including residential trips to Bewerley Park for Year 5 and 6 pupils. All year groups take advantage of educational trips to places including theatre outings, local church events and themed workshops and experiences such as a mobile planetarium, a science forensics day, Thirsk Sculpture Park and the Middlesbrough Mosque.

At our school, personal development is a cornerstone of our educational approach, with leadership opportunities growing as children progress. We meticulously plan for each child, holding high expectations for every member of our school community. Our curriculum is designed to proactively address potential weaknesses, ensuring a strong foundation for all students. Ofsted has acknowledged that our children receive "a good deal," reflecting our commitment to excellence.

Our Pupils

Our pupils are known for their warmth and support, always recognising and responding to the needs of those around them. They work together to achieve their goals, contributing positively to school life. With generally excellent behaviour, our students are eager to participate and are enthusiastic about their learning, consistently working hard to make progress. Experience the vibrant and nurturing environment at our school!

“In this ambitious school, potential issues become opportunities to adapt, develop, encourage and act as courageous advocates for learners. Adjusting teaching groups and the curriculum mid-year to address the needs of new and existing pupils empowers all in their development. The revised, broad and balanced curriculum, inspired by the Christian vision, promotes academic success encouraging enquiry and curiosity. It is reducing barriers to learning for all, including the most vulnerable. It exemplifies how all are valued as God’s children and enabled to succeed.” - SIAMS Report July 2022

Our school has a range of pastoral provisions which currently include a breakfast club and afterschool club where a variety of activities are offered including sports, drama and arts. We have a strong local reputation for success in sports and regularly participate in sporting events with neighbouring schools. Swimming is a real strength, with all pupils offered the opportunity to swim during the school year and most leaving school as confident swimmers.

Key findings of the most recent Ofsted Report:

New phonics and foundation subject curriculum (Learning Means the World) has had a positive impact on pupils learning and staff are well trained to deliver these. Learning builds upon prior knowledge and develops skills to help pupils make meaningful connections in their learning.

Ofsted recognised: “Pupils with SEND get the support they need to flourish. The school takes intelligent action to identify pupils’ needs and to put appropriate support in place. This has noticeable impact” - Ofsted 2024

Leaders and staff work with York Diocese to develop a shared understanding of Spirituality and how this can be woven into the school’s provision.

York Diocese

York Diocesan Board of Education supports 122 Church of England schools and academies in the area from the Humber to the Tees. We have a dedicated team of professionals who offer a wide range of expertise and can help schools access further assistance.

The Education team aims to:

• Be available as a ‘one-stop shop’ for pastoral and professional support;
• Work with a range of agencies to promote school improvement;
• Promote excellence and Christian distinctiveness;
• Provide and facilitate professional development and governor training;
• Help schools and academies network, collaborate together and share best practice;
• Offer a Total Property Management scheme in association with DBE Services Ltd;
• Involvement in recruitment processes for new Headteachers/Heads of School;
• Support Headteacher appraisal;
• Represent Church of England education to the wider church community and more widely to the public;
• Maintain contact with the local authorities and the Regional Directors at the DfE

The Rt Revd Barry Hill, Bishop of Whitby and Chair of the Diocesan Board of Education, said:

“Supporting children and young people to be all they are called to be is at the heart of who we are as the Diocese of York.

Together with the Church of England as a whole, it is a vision for education which is deeply Christian, with Jesus' promise of 'life in all its fullness' at its heart, and as such is for the common good of the whole community. It is a holistic vision, where education, like the faith in which it is rooted, is about wisdom, knowledge and skills, but also about hope and aspiration, about how we live well together in community with dignity and respect for all.

Of course a vision this encompassing is only possible by working in partnership, both between teachers, staff, trusts and governors, and in developing ever closer links between schools, churches and households. By working closely together we can achieve far more than apart. I am delighted that you are considering applying to be a Headteacher in the Diocese and know that, if appointed, you will join the diocesan family of schools dedicated to supporting you as you lead deeper into this vision so that together all our schools and communities can be places where the love of God is reflected through all we are.”

Mari Palmer, Diocesan Director of Education, said:

"As a diocese, we are here to help celebrate and strengthen the Christian ethos in our schools. We understand that each school is unique and our aim is to get to know our schools on an individual basis in order to foster the local parish and community links as far as possible.

As such, our Education Team offers a range of support to our headteachers from both a school distinctiveness and effectiveness point of view, as well as providing a range of training and development opportunities for staff and governors to access over the course of each year. In a rapidly changing educational landscape, we are more and more involved in wider school development, particularly as schools change from one school status to another.

I do hope that you feel able to apply for the position and we would look forward to welcoming you as part of our diocesan family here in the Diocese of York”.

Our Christian ethos and core values of honesty, love & care and respect are integral to our daily life.

These values and ethos are underpinned by Mark 4 Verse 28, ‘First the blade, then the ear, then the full grain’ as this was chosen especially to reflect our farming community we serve.

First the blade...(Parable of the sower)

Our family, school and the people around us nurture us to grow to be the best we can be. Without this nurture, we will not flourish and grow, just like the seeds.

Then the ear...(Parable of the mustard seed)

We can grow and develop just like the mustard seed to become great people; not necessarily famous, but great meaning good.

...then the full grain in the ear

Through the nurture and foundations we are given by those people around us we grow, develop and flourish to become wonderful people who can share our talents to help the world around us.

We aim to:

• Provide a high-quality education in a happy, Christian learning environment where everyone is respected.
• Encourage and nurture children as confident individuals to develop and sustain their full potential for a successful future life.
• Provide our children with the knowledge and understanding to live a healthy, happy and safe
  lifestyle.
• Stimulate learning through enquiry, creativity, fun and enjoyment.
• Foster a greater understanding and respect for others of any culture, religion or group.
• Enable children to develop self-esteem, independence, confidence, spirituality and motivation through promoting our values of friendship, trust and respect.
• Encourage an understanding of the meaning and significance of faiths.
• Promote Christian values through the learning experiences offered to our children.

Our collective worship policy strengthens and supports the Christian identity of our school, reaffirms our vision and associated values to support us to work as a Christian community to inspire a love of learning and to develop the full potential of each individual; adult and children alike. Collective worship at Gillamoor School is planned:

• To be inspirational and inclusive.
• To regularly include Biblical material and Christian teaching to provide learning opportunities.
• To have a strong focus on an understanding of the Trinity and God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• To assist all learners to understand Anglican and other Christian traditions both in the UK and worldwide.
• To challenge learners of all backgrounds to understand and embark on their own spiritual journey.
• To significantly contribute to pupils, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• To provide an opportunity to celebrate and give thanks for achievements within the school, local and international community, and occasions of significance, including festivals.

“Collective worship reflecting the beliefs and practices of the Anglican Church is a joy. It is invitational and inclusive. It draws the school and local community together because it is inspiring." - SIAMS Report July 2022

Inspirational learning through curiosity and commitment will encourage aspiration and the desire to be the best they can, in their work and through the respect, care and love they have for each other. This will enable a life lived at its fullness.

Ofsted Inspection

Gillamoor Church of England VC Primary School was judged to have maintained the “Good” standard from its previous inspection November 2024

An excerpt from our Ofsted 2024 inspection report:

“Gillamoor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection”.

“Pupils, in this small moorland school, welcome visitors with smiles and an inquisitive nature. They are polite, courteous and helpful. They embody the school’s aim of enabling everyone to flourish. Pupils at this school grow and develop to become mature and articulate members of the school community. The nurturing environment means that pupils are safe and happy. They benefit from high-quality pastoral support from well-trained staff”.

SIAMS Inspection

Gillamoor Church of England VC Primary School was judged “Good” at its last SIAMs Inspection – July 2022.

An excerpt from our 2022 SIAMs inspection report:

“Gillamoor is a calm, purposeful, polite and happy Church school with its Christian vision at its heart. It is on an exciting journey of which everyone wants to be a part.”  SIAMS July 2022

Our Pupils:

Up to Key stage 2 basic characteristics trends - 2020-22

Budgetary Position

We are proud to maintain a positive budget, with careful financial planning ensuring our three-year projection remains strong. We believe there is some scope for further improvement and are seeking an ambitious and tenacious Headteacher to lead our school into its next phase of growth and development.

Future Priorities, Considerations & Challenges

Please see our 24-25 School Development Plan [doc. 76kb]

Short and mid-term priorities (0-6 months; 6-18 months).

Summary of SDP priorities (for remaining 6 months of the academic year)

Teaching and Learning: Develop and embed questioning techniques to elicit and stretch understanding. Expand the approach of ‘I do, we do, you do’ modelling beyond Maths to more subjects across the school Develop the use of ‘in-the-moment’ and ‘whole-class' feedbacks to address misconceptions and embed the retention of key knowledge.

Assessment: Develop and embed a coherent school assessment approach which encompasses core and foundation subjects, and which is used to consider individual, year group and whole-school trends to inform teachers’ decision making for next steps in teaching and learning.

‘Polishing Behaviour’: All staff actively model and promote positive behaviours for learning, tackle low-level behavioural problems in the classroom and develop positive pupil attitudes to independence in their learning and reduce passivity amongst learners.

Develop whole school/class approaches to pupil mental health to promote resilience and confidence, including opportunities for pupils to develop their individual wellbeing techniques.

Subject leaders develop and promote consistency across the school in the teaching and learning of their subjects.

Implement and promote opportunities for increased independence across the EYFS setting, giving children more opportunities for self-directed learning and challenges.

Development of the teaching of Early Reading across the setting, including improving the effectiveness of phonics provision from all practitioners in the EYFS, and the development of the EYFS reading spine and talk for reading.

Priorities 6 – 16 months:

To continue to embed new curriculum initiatives which have been implemented in the past 12 months. To build upon new assessment approaches with both mid and long term analysis being used to structure support. To strengthen links and collaborative opportunities with other single schools (non-federated and not part of local MATs)

Long term ambitions for the next 3-5 years:

To continue to embed new curriculum initiatives which have been implemented in the past 12 months.

To build upon new assessment approaches with both mid and long-term analysis being used to structure support.

To strengthen links and collaborative opportunities with other single schools (non-federated and not part of local MATs)

To maintain high pupil numbers through proactive measures to promote and highlight the school’s strengths within the local community.

Please note, there has been a lot of change over the past 18 months, meaning that the new initiative needs time to embed. As a result, the 6-12month goals are the same as the 3–5-year goals around curriculum and assessment.

Future considerations (E.g. pupil numbers, budgets, buildings, staffing etc.):

A new transport policy will impact the way children in catchment who live a long distance from the school are determined as eligible for transport. This could impact numbers of children from within catchment who can attend the school.

Numbers are currently high with many pupils from out-of-catchment wanting to join from a nearby school. Should leadership at this school change, we might receive fewer pupils from here.

The building is in a listed area, so some options for green energy are not possible.

There is no space for further expansion, meaning numbers cannot go much above current levels.

Future challenges/barriers - Top 3 ‘big issues’ a new head will have to manage?

Making a positive impact in the local community quickly is important to ensure that the school remains a highly respected setting.

The small school nature of tight budgets and staffing means that the Headteacher will have a teaching commitment and must be able to manage their time very effectively to handle this.

Staff buy-in is absolutely key – the new headteacher must be open to learning about the school from the staff who have worked here a long time and needs to recognise that staff often go ‘above and beyond’ of their own volition but needs to take care not to take this for granted.

Section 2: Wider Community

The school lacks diversity (currently 100% white-British) and many families have lived in the area for several generations. A good proportion of the community is from farming and gamekeeping backgrounds, although this is shifting slightly as more families apply from out-of-catchment. There is
a wide range of economic backgrounds.

Families increasingly recognise the importance of education at the primary level, but significant work takes place regularly to ensure this continues, especially around attendance.

Relationship with parents, staff and wider community

The parent body are supportive, and school events are always well attended. The community as a whole do appreciate opportunities to visit school to see their children’s work, but few are as willing to get involved for PTA membership. The PTA is very active and runs a good number of events. There are growing links with the Church and an annual schedule of Church events is in place and strengthening. In the village, elderly residents view the school positively and some have engaged with invitations to join events such as coffee mornings run by the student church council.

Gillamoor Primary School is a smaller than average primary school, serving the village and surrounding area. The communities we serve comprise a mixture of households in the local employment/self-employment sector (large proportion in agricultural and tourism). Almost all pupils are White British, and a lower-than-average number of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium. The proportion of pupils on the SEN register or with EHCP is broadly in line with the National Average.

Local Authority, Diocese and School Improvement

We are supported by our contacts at the LA and Diocese of York and are able to access support. The school has a supportive Educational Advisor who understands the schools’ recent journey and strengths. We have a new Diocese advisor this year, so this relationship isn’t yet developed, but historically have benefitted from strong support.

Staff are also made aware of training opportunities through both the LA and diocese, and our leaders and designated safeguarding lead attend LA organised meetings/training/networking sessions.

Collaborative Partnerships

We are members of the Howardian Hills Teaching Alliance and a network of Ryedale small schools. Connections have also been established between the Anglican churches in the area. educational residential trips. We have a positive relationship with Ryedale School, forming strong bonds for transition to secondary school.

Parents and Carers

Our school is at the heart of the community and our engagement with parents/carers is imperative. We have an ‘open door policy’ where parents/carers are encouraged to discuss any aspect of their child’s schooling. We have an active PTA, which raise funds for facilities and equipment. Parents, carers and grandparents also volunteer within our school to help with activities such as supported reading.

Gillamoor

Gillamoor is an attractive, thriving rural village, uniquely situated approximately 2 miles north of Kirkbymoorside. A predominantly farming community, this unspoilt working village is nestled on the edge of the North York Moors National Park, offering a rural lifestyle, but within easy reach of the bustling market towns of Kirkbymoorside, Helmsley and Pickering, with good connectivity to York, Middlesbrough and the Jurassic coastline. With access to stunning walks, picturesque views, squash and tennis courts and golf clubs, there is much to see and enjoy! There are also plenty of children’s activities with weekly football, tennis and dance coaching available. We have a range of local amenities, including a doctor’s surgery, a dental practice, as well as good independent shops. The church also plays an active role in the community, further enhancing the friendly community spirit, where everyone is welcomed. Gillamoor and their neighbouring village Fadmoor often host events in the chapel and village hall, as well as a local produce show, bike riding events and a 10k run.

North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is England's largest county and one of the most rural. The area comprises the Yorkshire Dales (opens in a new tab) and North York Moors (opens in a new tab), three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a stunning coastline around Scarborough and Whitby. There are ruined castles and abbeys, serene gardens, unique breweries, thrilling rides and industrial heritage. The area hosted the phenomenal Tour de France ‘Grand Depart’ in 2014 and has since created the Tour de Yorkshire, an annual event with global recognition. Our success in supporting these events led to Harrogate hosting the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2019.

North Yorkshire has plenty to offer the outdoor enthusiast. From the hard gritstone of Almscliff and Brimham rocks to the limestone of Malham, Gordale and Kilnsey climbing venues are in abundance. The Yorkshire Dales is the premier area for caving and for mountain biking; there are the bridleways of the Dales and North York Moors as well as the renowned trail centre at Dalby Forest. There are a small number of sailing clubs on reservoirs around the county and fantastic surfsport venues and sea kayaking on the east coast.

While the county is rightly known for its wide open spaces, it also incorporates attractive market towns including Pickering and Helmsley, traditional seaside towns, the Spa town of Harrogate and the ancient city of York - the most visited city outside of London. There are a wide range of shopping, leisure and cultural facilities as well as excellent schools, universities, road and rail links, there really is everything to offer you and your family as a place to work, live and enjoy!

Travelling further afield we have convenient connectivity, with close proximity to metropolitan cities of Leeds and Newcastle, with little over two hours commute on the main train line to London. We border the Lake District, Lancashire, County Durham, and Yorkshire & Humber regions with all they have to offer.