Appleton Roebuck Primary School

About Appleton Roebuck Primary School

Appleton Roebuck Primary School sits within the North Yorkshire local authority, a large county with 292 primary schools. In the most recent rankings based on Key Stage 2 results, the school placed 120th out of 223 primaries in the area, placing it just above the middle of the pack. The top-performing local peers include Eppleby Forcett Church of England Primary School and Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, both of which achieved the highest possible ranking score of 100, followed by Middleton Tyas Church of England Primary School on 95. Appleton Roebuck is a small, mixed, state primary for children aged 4 to 11, with 106 pupils on roll against a capacity of 120. It has no religious character and is led by headteacher Martyn Broom. The school was inspected by Ofsted in December 2024 and received a Good rating across all areas, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. This was a change from its previous inspection in 2013, when it was rated Outstanding overall.

Academically, the school’s Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 59%, which is just one percentage point below the North Yorkshire local authority average of 60%. However, the school’s ranking on this metric places it in the bottom 50% nationally, at the 59th percentile. In individual subjects, maths was a relative strength: 71% of pupils met the expected standard and the average scaled score was 105, with 35% achieving a higher standard. Reading and writing both saw 59% of pupils reach the expected standard, though only 18% reached the higher standard in reading and 12% in writing. Progress scores are not available for any subject, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. The school’s Ofsted report noted that the quality of education is Good, and inspectors judged early years provision and personal development to be Good as well.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. In the most recent Parent View survey, 94% of respondents said they would recommend it, and 80% strongly agreed that their child is happy. Strong agreement was also high for safety (88%), behaviour (73%), and the school’s support for wider personal development (73%). The school offers a range of facilities including a library, forest school, playing fields, and a chapel, and runs clubs such as science, book, art, coding and film club. Sports on offer include netball, athletics, swimming, rounders, football and cricket. The school has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and hearing impairment. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 24 applications were received for 15 places, with 16 first-preference applications and all 15 offers going to first-preference families. This is a school that suits families looking for a small, community-focused primary with strong parental satisfaction and a good Ofsted rating, though academic results are broadly in line with the local average rather than standout.

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