Sessay Church of England Primary School
Sessay, Thirsk, YO7 3NA
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 5 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- ELEVATE MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Miss Fiona Bennett
- Diocese
- Diocese of York
- Sponsor
- Elevate Multi Academy Trust
- Constituency
- Thirsk and Malton
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 105
- Pupils on roll
- 79
- URN
- 151006
- Local authority
- North Yorkshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01845501239
About this school
Sessay Church of England Primary School is a Church of England primary academy in Thirsk. It teaches children aged 5 to 11 and has 79 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
A short monitoring inspection followed on : inspectors confirmed the school remains Good.
This inspection took place when the school was registered as Sessay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (URN 121514).
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 15 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 27% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 80% |
| Expected standard in maths | 53% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 73% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 104.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 100.0 |
How Sessay Church of England Primary School compares
Sessay Church of England Primary School ranked 226th of 233 primary schools in North Yorkshire for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 6% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 95% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 27% | 3.4% | 11% | 79 | — |
| Husthwaite Church of England Primary School | 88% | 5.3% | 20% | 64 | 3.1 miles |
| St Peter's Brafferton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | 67% | 3.5% | 9.7% | 92 | 3.2 miles |
| Topcliffe CofE Academy | 53% | 2.5% | 11.9% | 116 | 4.0 miles |
| Keeble Gateway Academy | — | 6.2% | 19.1% | 204 | 4.3 miles |
| Easingwold Community Primary School | 55% | 5.2% | 29.9% | 274 | 4.6 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
-
Ungraded inspection report10 July 2024
- 14 January 2020
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 10.98%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 3.37%
- Persistent absence
- 3.9%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Husthwaite Church of England Primary School3.1 miles
Primary · York
- 3.2 miles
-
Topcliffe CofE Academy4.0 miles
Primary · Thirsk
-
Keeble Gateway Academy4.3 miles
Primary · Thirsk
-
Easingwold Community Primary School4.6 miles
Primary · York
Other schools in Thirsk
Sessay Church of England Primary School ranks 10th of the 10 ranked primary schools in Thirsk.
- Alanbrooke Academy Primary
- All Saints Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy Primary
- Carlton Miniott Primary Academy Primary
- Dishforth Airfield Community Primary School Primary
- Dishforth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Keeble Gateway Academy Primary
- Knayton Church of England Academy Primary
- Pickhill Church of England Primary School Primary
- South Kilvington Church of England Academy Primary
- Sowerby Primary Academy Primary
- Thirsk Community Primary School Primary
- Topcliffe CofE Academy Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Sessay Church of England Primary School teach?
- Sessay Church of England Primary School teaches children aged 5 to 11. It is a primary school in Thirsk.
- Who is the headteacher of Sessay Church of England Primary School?
- The headteacher of Sessay Church of England Primary School is Miss Fiona Bennett, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Sessay Church of England Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Sessay Church of England Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Sessay Church of England Primary School?
- Sessay Church of England Primary School has 79 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 11.
- Is Sessay Church of England Primary School full?
- Sessay Church of England Primary School has capacity for 105 pupils and 79 on roll (75%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Sessay Church of England Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Sessay Church of England Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of York.
- Does Sessay Church of England Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Sessay Church of England Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- Who runs Sessay Church of England Primary School?
- Sessay Church of England Primary School is part of ELEVATE MULTI ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How does Sessay Church of England Primary School rank locally?
- Sessay Church of England Primary School ranked 226th of 233 primary schools in North Yorkshire for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 6% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 95% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Sessay Church of England Primary School's absence rate?
- Sessay Church of England Primary School's overall absence rate is 3.4% in the latest published census.
- What are Sessay Church of England Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Sessay Church of England Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.