Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

About Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a small state primary in North Yorkshire, with just 57 pupils on roll against a capacity of 84, meaning it operates well below its potential size. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 15.8%, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools and suggests a modestly above-average level of disadvantage in the intake. Despite the spare capacity, the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 admissions round, it received 24 applications for just 9 places, with all 9 first-preference applicants offered a spot. That oversubscription ratio of 2.67 to 1 indicates strong local preference, even though the school is not filling its overall capacity. The school is Church of England voluntary controlled, co-educational, and caters for children aged 3 to 11, though it does not have a nursery provision on site.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 judged it to be Good overall, with leadership and management also rated Good. The previous graded inspection in 2013 also gave a Good rating, so the school has maintained a consistent standard over time. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 50% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the North Yorkshire local authority average of 60%. However, individual subject results show some strengths: 75% met the expected standard in reading, and 63% did so in both maths and writing. Higher-attaining pupils were more evident in reading (25%) and maths (13%), but no pupils reached the higher standard in writing. The school’s average scaled scores were 105 in reading and 103 in maths, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100. In the local authority rankings, it sits at 172 out of 223 primary schools, placing it in the bottom half of North Yorkshire schools.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, dining hall, playing fields, chapel and an outdoor playground. Sports provision covers tennis, cricket, dance, swimming and football, while extracurricular clubs include gardening, chess, book club, art club, choir and coding — a decent variety for a small school. SEND support is available for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech and language needs, physical disabilities, and other difficulties or disabilities. With its small size and Church of England character, Grassington is likely to suit families who want a close-knit, community-focused primary where their child is known individually. The oversubscription suggests it is a popular choice locally, but the overall spare capacity means there may be flexibility for families outside the immediate catchment, particularly in non-first-preference rounds. It is not a boarding school and has no sixth form.

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