Riston Church of England Primary Academy

About Riston Church of England Primary Academy

Riston Church of England Primary Academy is a small village school where demand from local families is just beginning to outstrip supply. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 11 applications for its 10 Reception places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.1. All 10 first-preference applicants were offered a place, which suggests that while the school is popular, it is not yet fiercely competitive to get into. The school is led by headteacher Jennifer Marsden and has a Church of England religious character, though it is a state-funded academy rather than a voluntary-aided school. With just 92 pupils on roll against a capacity of 70, the school is actually operating above its official capacity, which is unusual for a rural primary and points to strong local confidence. Only 6.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the national average, indicating a relatively affluent catchment.

Academically, Riston performs solidly above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the East Riding average of 61%. The school ranks 39th out of 106 primary schools in the local authority, placing it in the top 40% regionally and nationally. Subject-level results are particularly strong in maths, where every pupil met the expected standard and 11% achieved a higher score. Reading and writing also performed well, with 78% and 89% reaching the expected standard respectively, and 22% of pupils reaching a higher standard in reading. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in January 2023, confirmed that the school remains Good, with Good ratings for leadership, early years provision and overall effectiveness. The previous graded inspection in 2014 also rated the school Good, so there is a consistent track record.

The school offers a practical, well-resourced environment for a rural primary. Facilities include a library, sports hall, playing fields, a sensory room and a chapel, which reflects its Church of England foundation. There is a good range of extracurricular clubs including art, coding, drama, gardening and eco club, plus sports such as rounders, cricket, dance, gymnastics, tennis and athletics. The school has identified six categories of SEND provision, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health needs, and visual impairment. This suggests the school is equipped to support a range of additional needs, though the small cohort size means specialist provision may be limited. Riston is best suited to families living within the immediate catchment who want a close-knit, Church of England primary with strong core academic results and a broad activity offer, but who are comfortable with the school running above its stated capacity.

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