Huby Primary School is an inclusive Church of England school situated in a village 10 miles north of the centre of York with a population approaching 1,500 people. There are two pubs, one of which is also a Cantonese restaurant, a Fish and Chip Shop, a community run village shop and Post Office, a volunteer run village hall, a sports field, bowls club and children’s playground. There is a strong Parish Council which circulate a magazine called the Huby Voice, in which we feature in as a school.

The school is situated in a small rural village with a longstanding farming community. Diversity of cultures in the village is low demographically, however we celebrate and encourage different cultures especially their festivals through RE within the school. There are good road links to the A19 and we are well connected to the surrounding villages of Sutton, Crayke, Stillington, Alne, Tholthorpe, Tollerton and Easingwold town.

Our School has a Governor led Nursery providing spaces for up to 10 children (per session) which started in September 2023 and has been running well. There is also wrap around care called Huby Herons, which supports our children and working families with a before and after school club and has been well supported by all involved. This has been successfully running since January 2023.

The school is set in safe and secure grounds, which provides a playground to the front and at the rear, a large open playing field, which provides a space for many sporting activities and events. It is also home to further play equipment and a bandstand. There is a Wildlife area which was redeveloped last summer supported by parents and a local business.

We benefit from having an outdoor swimming pool which is operational from early May to the end of July for all children in Reception to Year 6, where they swim three times a week. The school supports the National rescue award for Swimming teachers and coaches – (NRASTIC) swimming teachers, pool operating courses, water testing and poolside staff.

We have daily collective worship where every day the whole school comes together as a Huby family. It offers a time in the day for everyone to ‘stop, reflect and think’.

In September 2024, our NOR will be 94. This is due to a larger cohort leaving than entering and our SEN numbers will also change. Huby has a thriving village community with several house building projects currently in progress and there are further planning applications in place. This will increase our housing within Huby and potentially pupil numbers.

We have an active school council who are a strength of the school. Nominations and elections take place annually for each year group from Reception to Year 6. They were key recently in voting for and choosing a new piece of play equipment at the school.

Behaviour and Wellbeing

We are an inclusive school, so ensuring that we meet the needs of every child is a priority. The numbers of children with SEN have increased since the pandemic, so at times behaviour can be a challenge, but this has been addressed by strong leadership, quality-first teaching and ensuring we have adequate provision in place. For this year, we have also been able to create a safe flight space for our children with learning difficulties, enabling quiet time for reflection. We also offer a lunchtime Mindfulness club.

Almost all our pupils have excellent attitudes to learning and behave well in and outside of lessons.  They listen carefully and respond to instructions demonstrating highly positive attitudes and commitment to their education. Throughout the school, pupils are very proud of their work and being part of the school.  They feel comfortable to talk openly to staff through activities such as RHE(PSHE), circle time and small group working. Children who struggle to regulate their behaviour are well supported by trained staff.  Regular training and development ensure lunchtime staff are reminded of their roles and responsibilities.

Whilst we strive for excellence, it is important to all our community that all individuals at Huby feel happy safe and treasured. Our vision promotes tolerance and understanding where all are deeply respected.

“Behaviour and attitudes to learning across the school are exemplary. Pupils treat each other with dignity and respect. They show kindness to each other and have a deep understanding of individual needs, offering support and friendship. Pupils show courage and perseverance in their work and play.  Pupils are a delight and a real credit to the school. Staff act as excellent role models.” (SIAMS May 2022)

We have a ‘Buddy’ system in place where year six children guide and support the reception children in their first days at Huby school.  The compassion they show and the bond that they develop is evident and normally goes on to provide long-lasting friendships. This works effectively at playtime and lunchtime breaks and has continued to be a success and welcomed by parents, staff, and pupils.

Anti-Bullying has a high profile across school and is part of our PSHE curriculum. An atmosphere of calmness, responsibility, understanding, and tolerance pervades the school. Anti-Bullying Collective Worships take place throughout the year and in antibullying week. Most pupils understand that there is a difference between lively play, falling out and bullying. Pupils and parents know any incidents of reported bullying are dealt with immediately according to the school’s positive behaviour and anti-bullying polices and procedures. In 2022/23 there were very low incidents of bullying, with the school managing these positively and proactively. Parents and pupils felt these occasional issues were resolved effectively.

‘Parents and pupils feel that behaviour is a strength. There are very few behaviour incidents, and pupils’ contact around school and in class is very strong.’ (Ofsted 2019) 

We asked our wonderful pupils what skills they wanted in their new Headteacher, which they wanted to share with you!

Our Staffing Team

Our excellent team of 23 staff consists of our Headteacher, 6 teaching staff, 12 TAs, MSAs and wrap-around care staff, supported by our valued auxiliary team of 2 administrators, a caretaker and a cook. The number of TAs have significantly increased over last three years due to an increase in SEN children. We also opened Huby Herons (our before and after school wrap-around care) and our nursery in January and September 2023, respectively.

Our class structure is below:

This structure will temporarily change for 2024/2025 to manage a large cohort, so there will be five classes which will ensure year groups are not split. There will be two additional teachers from September 2024: this additional class as well as a KS2 maternity cover. The maternity leave will require some reorganisation in Maths leadership.

Our experienced and dedicated teaching team lead at least one subject: Reading & Phonics, Geography & EYFS, Science & History, MFL (French), Maths, Computing & PE, Religious Education &  Art & Design Technology.

The outgoing Headteacher is also the SENCo. Although it is hoped the new Headteacher retains this SENCo role, there is a teacher in the school who has the NASENCo award and takes on some of the role, particularly in EYFS.

Given we are a small school, the Head also leads on Music, Writing and PSHE & RSE, and is the DSL and Prevent lead. However, there are also two experienced Deputy DSLs.

Our talented staff go above and beyond to meet the needs of individuals and their families to ensure all pupils, including vulnerable pupils, flourish in line with the school’s vision. Pupils are considerate, respectful & courteous to staff and each other and consistently meet expectations, with just one fixed term exclusion in 2022/23. EYFS staff ensure that children co-operate, respect and care for each other from the outset. This ensures that the transition to KS1 is incredibly smooth, due to the excellent behaviour, social and emotional skills that the children develop.

Teachers’ management of behaviour is evidenced from ongoing informal drop-ins, as well as lesson observations which demonstrate that all teachers and other adults consistently model the highest possible standards from Nursery to Y6. Teachers have high expectations and standards. Behaviour for learning in lessons is never less than good and is usually outstanding.

Our Governing Body

Our Governing body is a strength. They have strong partnerships with both the Head and staff. Our Governing body consists of eight individuals with a diverse skill set, in addition to the Head and staff Governor. Our governors have clear roles and responsibilities and are fully committed to the long-term future of our school. They are fundamental in decision-making and supportive in safeguarding, finance, school improvement and inclusion. We have two Foundation governors as a Church of England School.

There is a strong Christian ethos within Huby School, and this is demonstrated by our vision and values. Leaders ensure that the curriculum provides broad and rich opportunities so that all pupils can succeed in whatever they do.

School Vision Statement

“Only our best will do, be kind to one another “

Our vision is for everyone to have a thirst for learning within a high quality, caring, inclusive school built on Christian values. We foster an environment where children show respect and kindness to one another and the world around them and who are prepared for an ever-changing world.

Colossians 3:23, ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart’.

Collective worship reflects the school’s Christian vision and is thoughtfully planned out by leaders and staff and supported by the children. This time has a significant impact on the children and inspires them to make a difference both locally and globally.

Our Core Values:  Friendship, Respect, Perseverance and Courage

 We teach British values and associated Christian values; our core values underpin everything that we do and are woven into our curriculum. The impact of the school’s strongly held Christian values of Friendship, Respect, Perseverance and Courage are readily apparent in pupil’s good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The vision of ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart’ and ‘Only my best will do be kind to one another’ form the basis for the school behaviour policy. The impact of a comprehensive behaviour policy and our behaviour system ensures consistent approaches to rewards and sanctions.

Recognition of demonstrating the schools’ values is given in the following ways:

• There are ‘Values Champions’ for each class who have demonstrated that they can be good role models to children by demonstrating our Christian values. On a weekly basis they award a certificate to a child in the class who has demonstrated school values
• Each Friday an achievement worship is held in school where recognition is given to a pupil from each class who has demonstrated hard work and Christian values. There is also a Headteacher award given to one pupil from the whole school. These awards are then published in the weekly ‘Newsletter’ issued to parents
• There are four houses within the school: Rievaulx, Byland, Bolton and Fountain. Each are awarded house points for excellent manners and behaviour, for hard work and demonstrating the Christian values
• Each half term our staff nominate a colleague who has demonstrated the school’s values. Our governor-run School Improvement Committee then chooses from these nominations; they are written to by the Chair of Governors and awarded half a day off in recognition of this. This was implemented at the start of 2024 and has been well received by the teaching staff

OFSTED - 6^th June 2019

Ofsted Judgement “This school Continues to be good”.
(This visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in June 2015)

• Safeguarding is effective with all policies and key procedures in place to keep pupils safe
• Parents and carers recognise that their children are safe and happy in school
• The leadership team has maintained a good quality of education
• The curriculum is broad and balanced with lots of opportunities for pupils to develop skills in a wide range of subjects
• The curriculum supports pupils understanding of different lifestyle choices and of different faiths and cultures
• Pupils speak confidently about the need for tolerance and respect for people from different backgrounds and to celebrate this
• Literacy and oral communication skills are particularly well developed
• Mathematics is taught well, and for girls, outcomes have improved since the last inspection.
• Progress in reading and writing is strong
• Progress in early years is good with a particular focus on boys who make strong progress, in line with girls, including speaking and managing their feelings
• There is a strategic plan to support the needs of disadvantaged pupils who achieve well in school
• Attendance is above average and has improved across all year groups by engaging both pupils and parents
• The leadership team and teaching staff know their pupils very well and understand each child’s individual needs
• Parents and pupils also feel that behaviour is a strength, and any issues are dealt with effectively
• Parents feel that staff listen to their concerns and queries, and these are responded to effectively
• Governors understand their roles well and can detail the schools’ achievements and strengths in leadership and know the schools’ priorities for development

We are anticipating an imminent inspection, and should we not be inspected this summer term, it is expected an inspection will take place in the next year. The new Headteacher will need to ensure we continue to be in the best possible position to showcase our wonderful school.

SIAMS - 26^th May 2022

Overall Grade:  Good     
Impact of Collective Worship:  Good

• All members of the school community live and breathe the distinctive Christian vision with authenticity and kindness
• Huby is truly a lovely place to learn and work
• The Headteacher leads the school with courage and dedication walking the walk of the vision in all that they do
• Identified strengths in leadership, serving as inspirational role models for pupils and their families, staff, and governors
• The school’s vision has been refined to ensure it meets the current needs of the children and the community it serves
• There is a strong provision for RE (religious education) as the Christian vision clearly impacts on the curriculum enabling all children to learn and develop as well-rounded pupils
• The daily coming together of the Huby Family during collective worship is deeply valued by all. It inspires both children and adults to consider how they can serve and support both themselves and others

Next Steps:

• Develop opportunities for spiritual development throughout the curriculum so pupils can articulate their spirituality in depth
• Further involve pupils and adults in shaping collective worship through planning, monitoring, and evaluation together

“The school fosters an inclusive environment where all pupils and adults are welcome” - SIAMS report 26^th May 2022

Our strengths

• Inclusivity and Care for SEN children
• Behaviour & Attitudes to learning (recognised and applauded in both our SIAMS and Ofsted reports)
• Christian Vision and Ethos (see findings from SIAMS report)
• Our PTA and Governing Body
• Our extra-curricular activities/clubs that we offer to our pupils, which includes multi-skills (provided by a specialist sports leader - involving Football, Athletics, Netball & Cricket) Science, Chess, Messy Church, Mindfulness, French, Young Voices
• The school has gained several awards, most recently a silver school games award, Global Leaders, Thrive Practitioner, PSQM Science Award (gilt) and FFT Attendance
• Music is promoted within the school using ‘Music in Schools’ and has been popular with pupils for over 20 years
• Attendance is a strength of the school and is published in our weekly newsletter:

Pupil achievement, attainment and progress

EYFS GLD

In early years, the curriculum, especially for boys, needs to develop their fine motor skills more rapidly to support them in their writing.

Key Stage 1 SATS 2023 (23 - 4 x Disadvantaged)

Key Stage 2 SATS 2023 (9 - 1 x EHCP, FSM pupil)

Further historic school performance data can be found here.

Budget position

We have a dedicated finance committee who have worked hard to maintain a healthy school budget. These are meticulously and regularly reviewed.
Our uncommitted revenue balances are as follows:

23/24   £36469.00
24/25   £13451.52
25/26   £2923.00
26/27   £654.00

In 24/25 and 25/26 there is temporary increased teaching expenditure due to a 1-year contract to support a large single year cohort which will result in five classes next year. There is an additional challenge with high SEN/EHCPs and the impact on the budget to balance.

There will be an increase of income from Huby Herons due to a review of fees which is not accounted for in any of the above figures of £2,000 per year.

We continually strive to improve in all areas and never become complacent.

Short and Mid-term Priorities

Strategic Priorities

• To provide a child centred approach to safeguarding and promote the welfare of every child.
• To provide excellent teaching and learning for all
• To provide a broad and balanced curriculum which is exciting and engaging to meet the needs of our children.
• To provide visionary leadership and governance to facilitate school improvement

Additional Priorities

• To provide additional space for interventions, music lessons and visits from professionals (Outside building currently being reviewed and discussed)
• Ofsted inspection
• Leadership development

These are the current areas for development from the SDP 2023/2024:

Long term ambitions

• Academisation is an area we are reviewing annually as a FGB with the everchanging landscape of schools.
• Budget reviews and staffing are part of our short- and long-term consideration. We are strategic with our approach to this due to our increased number of SEN children.
• Potential conversion of conservatory into actual building for a nursery
• Temporary Mainstream Provision (TMP) - we applied for this last year as this would help with provisions for children with SEN but we were unsuccessful due to area. This will continue to be reviewed annually due to the strength of our application as a school

Relationships with parents and the local community

Our parents are an extended arm of our school community. We have a strong PTA who run events to raise funds for the school they are currently in the process of organising a Summer Carnival to be held July this year. We hold an annual sports day where families of children are all invited to watch. We have buried time capsules and invited families to picnic on the field to be part of the occasion.

The school forms a central role in our local religious and wider community, especially with our Methodist Chapel in the village and All Hallows Church located in the neighbouring village of Sutton where we attend to celebrate Harvest Festival, Christmas, and Easter services. We invite a Church group to attend ‘Open the book’ through collective worship, and they enact a play whilst involving the children to tell part of a story from the bible. Christmas performances (KS1 pupils) & Summer plays (KS2 pupils) are delivered annually; parents are invited and are always well attended. Messy Church is offered within school to all children from reception – Year 6. It offers children the opportunity to learn from a church community and normally mirrors collective worship with a new school value each term. There is a story, craft to take home and food to share. It lasts for an hour and is very popular accommodating up to 20 children and is run by our foundation governor.

We ensure we enrich and give to our local community in all ways we can:

• As a school we celebrate Harvest, Christmas, Easter, and Royal events. We always invite the local community to be part of our celebrations
• Huby Herons: this was opened to provide a service in the village after the closure of our feeder nursery and wrap-around care in the village. This is well supported by parents and has been welcomed as a lifeline by most working families
• We often contribute to Huby Voice, a quarterly publication produced by the Parish council which shares the news of village groups around the community
• We collect food donations at harvest festival and these are collected by Easingwold food bank and distributed to the elderly and those in need within the village
• We support chosen charities each year in the wider community – these are normally chosen by the school council. Year six children recently raised funds for Macmillan nurses and RSPCA

We are delighted the village in turn support us:

• Parents and the wider community have raised funds for a new pool filter totalling £3,200
• The Rev. Steve from All Hallows Church runs a collective worship session within the school
• The local football club recently visited the school to encourage/ offer football sessions to girls from reception to YR 6 at the local playing fields
• Parents and local businesses have donated time and money to the re-development of our wildlife area

Relationship with LA

We have a positive and collaborative relationship with North Yorkshire, with regular visits planned in with our School Improvement advisor. We meet annually to discuss the SEF and look at areas where we may require additional support and development. Visits and meetings are planned throughout the year and we value the input and advice that is provided.

Relationship with the Diocese of York

We have strong links with the Diocese and work with them throughout the year. We have a link advisor that visits the school to review and support us with maintaining standards and in SIAM. Our current focus is developing spirituality.

They also support us with the Head Teacher Performance Management review.

The Governing Body is invited to attend meetings where representatives from church schools come together and share ideas. We have also supported the Archbishop York Youth Trust Leadership Award Scheme.

Wider networks

We are part of a cluster Schools informal network with 10 local primary schools and 1 secondary school (Outwood Academy). Headteachers meet regularly to share problems and ideas.

OUR DIOCESE

York Diocesan Board of Education supports 123 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;
• Guide schools on matters concerning trusts;
• Work with schools exploring Academy conversion;
• 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 Paul Ferguson, Bishop of Whitby and Chair of the Diocesan Board of Education, said:

“Our schools and academies are a vital part of the mission of the Church of England in the Diocese of York. Staff and governors are strongly committed to their communities, and in many cases the influence of church schools can only be described as transformative.

We strive to offer our young people the very best in every aspect of education, including encouraging them to mature spiritually and to understand how faith informs good relationships and responsible citizenship. We aim for our schools to be places where the love of God in Christ is truly reflected. If these aims and values resonate with you, we hope that you will consider applying to come to Huby CE Primary School to lead our school into the next phase of its life”.

Andrew Smith, 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 of Headteacher at Huby C E Primary School and we would look forward to welcoming you as part of our diocesan family here in the Diocese of York”.

North Yorkshire is England's largest county and one of the most rural. The area comprises the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and the Pennines - 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 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 surf sport 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 Thirsk, Pickering and Helmsley, traditional seaside towns, the Spa town of Harrogate and the ancient city of York. 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 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.

Living in York (Huby is 10 miles north of York)

The ancient city of York is a beautiful, thriving city with low unemployment and highly performing tourism, cultural and entertainments industries. York was voted the 'Best Place to Live' by the Sunday Times, in 2018. It’s rich in culture and heritage, a vibrant modern city still making history. It’s a city renowned for beautiful period buildings, historical city walls and the iconic Minster; but also for its cool cafes, destination restaurants, innovative businesses and the fastest internet in Britain. It’s a destination visited by 7 million people every year and is recognised on a regional, national and international stage.

York is a wonderfully compact city with all the amenities one could need whilst also having on its doorstep National Parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty, quaint villages and market towns, and the Yorkshire coast.

You can find out more here.

For further information on our beautiful county, please visit:

www.visitnorthyorkshire.com
North Yorkshire Visitor Guide