Kildwick Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

About Kildwick Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Kildwick Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School sits within the North Yorkshire local authority, a large and varied county for primary education. Among the 292 primary schools in the area, Kildwick ranks 84th, placing it comfortably in the top third locally. Its closest peers at the very top of the rankings include Eppleby Forcett Church of England Primary School and Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, both of which achieved a perfect ranking score of 100, as well as Middleton Tyas Church of England Primary School with a score of 95. The school itself is a small, state-funded primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 4 to 11, with a Church of England religious character. Headteacher Tim Whitehead leads a school that currently has 139 pupils on roll, which is above its official capacity of 119, and a relatively low proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 6.5%. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in November 2023, awarded the school an overall rating of Good, a change from its previous Outstanding rating in 2008.

Academically, Kildwick performs solidly against national and local benchmarks. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 65% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is five percentage points above the North Yorkshire local authority average of 60%. The school’s ranking score of 65, based on this combined measure, places it in the top 50% nationally, at the 44th percentile. Subject-level results show particular strength in reading, where 78% of pupils reached the expected standard and 22% achieved a higher standard, with an average scaled score of 106. In maths, 70% met the expected standard and 22% reached the higher standard, with an average score of 103. Writing saw 70% at expected and 13% at the higher level. The Ofsted breakdown from the 2023 inspection rated personal development as Outstanding, while quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management were all judged Good. Early years provision was also rated Good.

The school offers a practical and well-equipped environment for its pupils. Facilities include an outdoor playground, library, gymnasium, ICT suite, sensory room, playing fields, a forest school area, dining hall and a chapel. Sports on offer include dance, athletics, cross country, cricket, rounders, netball and gymnastics, and there are clubs for drama, gardening and eco activities. The school’s SEND provisions cover a range of needs, including specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school was oversubscribed, with 19 first-preference applications for 19 total places, but a total of 82 applications overall, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.32. This is a school that suits families who value a Church of England ethos, strong personal development and a broad range of facilities within a small, community-focused primary.

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