JDeamer

Clifton with Rawcliffe Primary School and Archbishop Holgate’s School, both part of Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust, have been recognised by the Secretary of State for Education for delivering excellent outcomes.

In letters sent to both schools, Education Secretary, The Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson, congratulated staff on the excellent outcomes achieved by disadvantaged pupils at the end of the 2024-25 academic year, noting that the schools are among the very best nationally for disadvantaged performance.

Ms Phillipson went on to praise the dedication and hard work of staff and pupils at the schools, saying: “This success reflects the dedication of your staff and the hard work of your pupils. It shows what can be achieved when ambition and commitment come together. Thank you for everything you do to give children the best possible opportunities to succeed.”

She also encouraged the schools to help raise standards across the sector through sharing effective practice, supporting collaboration and engaging with the government’s Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (Rise) programme which aims to break the link between young people’s backgrounds and their future success.

Andrew Daly added: “We believe every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, and these outcomes demonstrate what is possible when high expectations are matched with the right support. As a Trust, we are committed not only to sustaining excellence within our own schools, but also to working collaboratively across the region to share best practice and help raise standards for all. We look forward to continuing this work and playing our part in breaking down barriers to success for young people.”

The first phase of Tang Hall Primary School’s new build project is set to begin during the February half term holiday.

The current school, which dates back to the 1920s, no longer meets the needs of pupils, staff or the local community and is being completely rebuilt under the government’s school rebuilding programme.

The initial works will involve remodelling areas of the existing building to accommodate all pupils and staff on one half of the site. Once these adaptations are complete, part of the current building will be demolished to make way for the construction of the new purpose-built facilities.

Tang Hall’s headteacher, Lorraine Atkinson, said: “We are excited that our new build project is moving forward. This first phase is a crucial step in enabling the construction of our new school which will greatly enhance our facilities and learning spaces. We are grateful for the patience and support of our school community as this work begins.”

The new building – due to be completed by winter 2027 – will house classrooms, staff rooms, a nursery, library, offices, kitchen, hall, toilet facilities and store rooms all within a smaller footprint, allowing for much needed outdoor space and facilities on the site.

The start of the project has been delayed due to the previous contractor, ISG Construction, going into administration in September 2024 before work on site could begin.

The Department for Education, which is funding and managing the project, has appointed Tilbury Douglas to take over as the main contractor to construct the school’s new building.

Tang Hall Primary School is part of Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust, a spokesperson for the trust said: “We are delighted that the first step in Tang Hall’s new build project will shortly be underway.

Tilbury Douglas will complete the project to the approved plans and specifications which includes the construction of the new L-shaped single storey school building on the north-west part of the site; with the addition of a new playing field, play area, landscaping and significantly improved outdoor space on the eastern half of the site.

The school will remain fully operational throughout the project, with careful planning in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of pupils, staff and visitors at all times.”

Hempland Primary School, another of Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust’s schools, is also being rebuilt under the government’s school rebuilding programme and was also affected by the collapse of ISG Construction. The concrete foundations and steel structure of Hempland’s new two-storey building were already completed prior to all works ceasing in September 2024.

The Department for Education, which is also managing Hempland’s new build project, has appointed a new contractor, Morgan Sindall Construction, to complete the remaining building works.

The spokesperson for Pathfinder said: “We have been working closely with the teams at the DfE and Morgan Sindall to get work restarted at Hempland as soon as possible. Extensive site surveys and remedial works have been taking place and we anticipate full-scale construction being able to resume during the summer term.

We recognise the disruption and uncertainty caused by the delays in the project and would like to thank pupils, staff, parents and local residents for their continued patience, support and understanding.

Working in partnership with the DfE and their key contractors, we are looking forward to delivering two purpose-built schools fit for 21st century learning which will benefit their communities for many years to come.”

Ofsted has resumed the routine inspection of schools under their new assessment framework which no longer includes one word judgements of a school’s overall performance. The new way of carrying out inspections is designed to ensure schools are meeting the needs of all students, including disadvantaged and those with SEND. The previous inspection grades of Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate have been replaced with a five-point scale with ‘Expected Standard’ being the new benchmark for a high-performing school.

Ofsted has produced a useful guide on their new report cards and grades which you can watch below.

As outlined in the Ofsted video, schools are inspected against six key areas (seven if the school has Early Years or Post-16 provision) and receive a grade for each area. Schools are also assessed on whether they have ‘met’ or ‘not met’ their safeguarding responsibilities.

New Inspection Areas

New Inspection Grades

Ofsted has stressed that the old grades cannot be compared to the new outcomes due to its different approach to inspections and the new way of reporting to parents and carers. The first report cards from new school inspections have started to be published based around the Expected Standard being a high benchmark to reach.

Expected Standard (Green)

The new Expected Standard demonstrates that all students are receiving everything they need and deserve in that area. The Expected Standard also indicates that a school is doing everything it should to meet all statutory and non-statutory legislation.

Strong Standard (Dark Green)

Moving up the grades, the new Strong Standard is even harder to secure than the Expected Standard and marks out areas where excellent and consistent work is making a real difference to children and young people.

Needs Attention (Orange)

Schools not meeting the Expected Standard in a particular area will receive a Needs Attention outcome. This is not a fail but highlights where further improvements are needed to secure the Expected Standard. It also indicates that Ofsted is confident school leaders are likely to be able to make the necessary improvements.

Urgent Improvement (Red) and Exceptional (Blue)

The lowest grade, Urgent Improvement, is used when schools need to urgently address any problems preventing them from providing the Expected Standard of education.

Exceptional is the highest standard to achieve and recognises practice that is among the very best nationally which should be shared with other schools to help them improve.

Ofsted Report Cards

How inspection outcomes are shared is also changing. Ofsted reports are being replaced with new online report cards. As you can see in this example report card, it is perfectly possible for a school to achieve highly in some areas whilst requiring more focus and development in others.

Alongside the grades a school achieves in each area, the report card also provides detailed descriptions of what inspectors found during their inspection. This is to help parents and carers understand why Ofsted has awarded the different grades and what it’s like to be a child or young person at that school.

At Pathfinder we are incredibly proud of our strong track record of successful Ofsted outcomes and the support we provide our children and young people. All of our Ofsted outcomes over recent years have been Good or Outstanding and we will be striving to maintain and improve on these high standards under the new inspection framework.

Pathfinder Education Partnership was delighted to hold its first conference for middle and senior school leaders focussed on inclusive leadership and belonging.

Proudly sponsored by education recruitment specialist, Castle Education, the conference brought together 110 middle and senior leaders from schools across York, North Yorkshire and beyond for a day of learning, networking, and strategic development.

A wide range of national experts were invited to speak at the conference, held at York Racecourse on 10 June. They focused on how schools can build support for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities into their curriculums; what inclusive training for school staff looks like; and how to narrow the attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students.

A highlight of the conference was guest speaker Chris Lubbe who served as a bodyguard to Nelson Mandela and contributed to the delicate negotiations that paved the way for South Africa’s inaugural democratic elections. Chris, now a TEDx and keynote speaker, shared his story of growing up in apartheid South Africa and set a timely reminder of how schools can celebrate and drive the mission of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Pathfinder Education Partnership Co-Directors Andrew Young and Fiona Hopkinson-Kearney with guest speaker Chris Lubbe

As a part of Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust which leads a family of primary and secondary schools in York and North Yorkshire, Pathfinder Education Partnership designs, delivers and sign-posts professional development for staff working in school and early years settings.

Andrew Young, Co-Director of Pathfinder Education Partnership, said: “Days like today present a moment in time to lift up our middle and senior leaders who deserve our recognition for all that they do. It was a chance to inspire and motivate colleagues as we continue to implement and improve what we do to support all of our young people to thrive.

Our focus on belonging, inclusion, and adaptive teaching ensures schools are well‑prepared to meet modern challenges. The better our teachers are, the better the outcomes for our young people – and this is why high-quality support and training for staff is essential.”

After an inspiring and thought-provoking day, participants left equipped with practical frameworks to lead with inclusion at the core of school strategy; networking links across the region, fostering collaboration and shared best practice; enhanced awareness of how belonging-focussed leadership boosts student outcomes; and ideas and actions to champion equity by working with students, families and the wider community.

Participants who attended the conference said: “I feel more empowered and energised.”

“I really liked the chance to think ‘bigger’ and more strategically about some of the core challenges we face in our school in terms of inclusion.”

“I have learnt lots that I will take back to my headteacher and school. Especially in regards to inclusivity, disadvantaged, Professional Development for staff, and the need for a sense of belonging!”

A new contractor will be taking over the construction of Hempland Primary School’s rebuilding project after the previous contractor, ISG Construction, went into administration last September bringing all work to a halt.

The Department for Education, which is managing the project, has appointed Morgan Sindall Construction as the main contractor to complete the school’s new building.

Hempland Primary School is part of Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust. The Trust has worked closely with the DfE throughout the planning and construction process for the new school.

A spokesperson for the Trust said: “We are delighted to share the news that Morgan Sindall Construction has been appointed to take forward the rebuilding project at Hempland Primary School.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank colleagues at the DfE for their continued hard work and perseverance in getting the project to this point.

There has been a tremendous amount of work going on behind the scenes to find a contractor who could complete the building works and we are looking forward to construction now being able to resume on site.”

The concrete foundations and steel structure of the two-storey building were completed prior to all works ceasing last September. Regular site inspections and maintenance work has been taking place since then to ensure the building remains safe and secure.

Morgan Sindall will complete the building to the original plans and specifications.

Hempland’s Headteacher, Abbie Innes, said: “We’re so happy that the future of our new school building has now been secured and work can progress as planned.

Thank you to all of our children, staff, families and local residents for your patience, support and understanding during what has been a challenging and complicated time for us.

After months of uncertainty we can now look forward to having a brand new building in the not too distant future.”

Hempland successfully achieved a place on the government’s School Rebuilding Programme in July 2021 with the plans to construct the new school being unanimously approved by City of York Council’s planning committee in November 2023.

The new school is designed to be net carbon zero in operation and is being built to the latest construction standards. It will provide modern, state of the art facilities to help support an excellent and enriching education and includes a main hall, kitchen, library, staff room and reception area along with classrooms, cloakrooms, toilets and offices.

Site surveys and remedial works will be carried out during the next few months. It is anticipated that the new building will be completed in the winter of 2026/27.

As a trust, we have successfully applied for £1.1 million worth of grants to support carbon reduction and energy efficiency projects at two of our schools.

Malton School and Rufforth Primary School are set to benefit from the grants as part of the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme which aims to reduce emissions from public sector buildings by 75 per cent over the next 12 years.

Mike Wells, Pathfinder’s Estates and Facilities Manager, said: “We are delighted to have secured this funding for Malton and Rufforth which will go a long way in helping to reduce each school’s carbon footprint and overall operating costs.

We have been working in partnership with York based design and project management company, Gate & Bar, and local sustainability consulting firm, C3 Group, since last October to put together comprehensive plans to support the grant applications.

Having received confirmation that the bids were successful, we are now looking forward to work beginning at both schools this summer.”

In addition to the grant funding, Pathfinder is contributing a further half a million pounds to support both projects taking the total investment to £1.6 million.

As part of the plans, Malton School will have the gas and oil heating systems in the school’s East Wing, formally the grammar school, replaced with air source heat pumps. The building’s roof will also undergo repair works as well as having new insulation installed.

Rufforth Primary School will have its current oil-based heating system replaced with an air source heat pump, cavity wall insulation installed throughout the building and all external windows and doors replaced.

Malton’s Headteacher, Rob Williams, said: “It’s hugely exciting to see this investment going into the East Wing. As a specialist science school we also welcome and support the drive towards becoming carbon neutral. Our thanks to Pathfinder MAT without whose expert support we would not have received this grant.”

Work at both schools is set to begin in July and is expected to be completed by September 2026, with the majority of the works taking place during school holidays. Once complete, it is projected that Malton will save approximately £26,000 a year on energy bills, with Rufforth saving around £7,500.

The trust has led on a number of energy efficiency projects in recent years as part of our wider environmental sustainability plans.

This has involved the installation of solar panel systems at three of our schools, including at Archbishop Holgate’s which now has one of the largest school solar panel arrays in the country.

Since going live in October 2023, the energy generated by the solar panels has saved the school almost £30,000 a year.

Andrew Daly, CEO of Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust, said: “This is excellent news for Malton and Rufforth with the schools not only benefiting from a reduction in their environmental impact but also important savings on their energy costs.

At Pathfinder, we want our schools to be inspiring places to learn and work in for both students and staff. We are proud to have invested more than £4.2 million into school improvement projects over the past five years to ensure our buildings are well-maintained and remain fit for purpose.”

Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust was established in August 2016, initially between four schools. Today, the trust comprises two secondary schools and 15 primary schools, serving more than 6,200 students and their families across York and North Yorkshire.