Naburn School's future safe after it is lifted out of special measures

Naburn Primary School had already been accepted as part of the Driffield-based TEAL (The Educational Alliance) multi-academy trust – one of the conditions placed upon it to ensure its survival.

Ofsted inspectors who visited the school in April have now lifted it out of special measures, and improved its rating from ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’.

In a letter to parents Anne Clark, the chair of the school’s governors, said the school’s future had now been effectively secured, providing pupil numbers could be maintained.

She said: “After being under threat of closure just a year ago, I can hardly believe where we are now - only achieved by the hard work, trust, belief and support of so many people, particularly you our parents.”

Mrs Clark said the Ofsted inspectors had ‘recognised the rapid and effective improvements that have been made over the last 18 months’ under new headteacher Jonathan Green.

Naburn Primary School headteacher Jonathan Green (Image: Naburn Primary School)

She added: “Clearly, as the judgement of Requires Improvement and the report describes, there is more to be done and Governors are not complacent but fully aware.

“(But) we know where we are (and) what we have achieved, and have a clear path of where we are going, what we need to do next and I can assure you our rapid improvement will continue.”

In May last year, parents and staff, together with locals worried their village school may be forced to close, went public with a ‘Save Our School’ plea.

An Ofsted inspection the previous December had seen the school rated ‘inadequate’.

That, combined with the fact pupil numbers had fallen to just 33, led City of York Council to warn it must become part of an academy chain within eight months or face the risk of closure.

Staff and children outside Naburn Primary after they launched their 'Save Our School' plea last year (Image: Naburn Primary School)

But new headteacher Jonathan Green, who had been appointed on a part-time basis in September just a couple of months before the 2021 Ofsted inspection, declared he was confident he could turn things around.

“We have been working hard to make all the necessary improvements,” he said. “I am blessed with a superb staff (and) a highly motivated, intelligent governing body. Our parents are with us. We will fight to save our valued village school. Come on Naburn!”

In June last year, York Outer MP Julian Sturdy highlighted the school’s plight in a national debate in Parliament on the fairness of Ofsted inspections.

The school celebrated its 150th anniversary last autumn. And in March this year, it announced that the TEAL multi-academy trust had agreed to sponsor it.

Flashback to 1946, when Naburn Primary School children took part in the village's May Day parade (Image: Naburn Primary School)

That went a long way towards securing the school’s future.

The news that it has now been taken out of special measures underlines that.

Welcoming the latest Ofsted result, Mr Sturdy said:: “I am absolutely delighted. This is brilliant news. All the hard work has paid off.

“Naburn School has been an integral part of the village for such a long time and is so important for the local community.”

Mrs Clark said TEAL had already appointed a full-time head, Kate Durham, who would take over under Mr Green as Executive Head from September.

She would work with Mr Green for a couple of terms until he retired and she became the school’s sole head, Mrs Clark said.

In her letter to parents she said: “Mrs Durham comes with considerable experience and expertise that I know will enhance the quality of education in our school and we look forward to welcoming her.”

She also thanked Mr Green. “His tenacity, determination and belief in our school has been inspirational to me, all the governors and staff and all our community," she said. "We couldn’t have done it without him.

“We still have a lot of improvements to make but we will make them. And we have to keep our pupil numbers up. So spread the word, about how wonderful our ‘small school with big ideas’ really is!”