Ryton-On-Dunsmore Provost Williams Church of England Academy

About Ryton-On-Dunsmore Provost Williams Church of England Academy

Ryton-On-Dunsmore Provost Williams Church of England Academy is a small primary school with a big gap between its capacity and its actual roll. The school can take up to 210 pupils but currently has just 112 on its books, meaning it is running at just over half its capacity. That under-occupancy is striking given the level of demand for places: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 23 applications for its 12 available places, making it officially oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.92 applicants per place. All 12 first-preference families were offered a spot, so if you put it first on your application, you stand a decent chance. The school serves a relatively disadvantaged cohort compared with the national picture — 29.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average of around 23% for primary schools. That context matters when you look at its academic results, because the school is working with a pupil population that faces more barriers than many.

Academically, the school’s Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show a mixed picture. Just 44% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is notably below the Warwickshire local authority average of 62%. The school ranks 23rd out of 28 primary schools in the Rugby local authority area on this measure, placing it in the bottom half of the table. Looking at individual subjects, reading is the strongest area: 76% of pupils reached the expected standard, with an average scaled score of 104. Maths is weaker, with 64% at the expected level and an average score of 102. Writing sits between the two at 68% expected. The proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects is just 8%, and the school’s national ranking for combined expected standard is in the bottom 15% of all primary schools. Ofsted rated the school Good overall in its most recent graded inspection in 2014, and an ungraded visit in 2018 confirmed it remains Good. That is an improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2012.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including a gymnasium, library, ICT suite, forest school, sensory room and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, football, cricket, netball, gymnastics, dance and swimming, and there are clubs for drama, book club, gardening and choir. The nursery provision means children can start from age three, which is helpful for working families. SEND support is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. The school is a Church of England academy, so there may be a faith-based admissions criterion, though the oversubscription data suggests most first-preference families do get in. This is a school that suits families who value a small, community-focused setting with strong SEND support and a faith character, but who are realistic about academic outcomes being below the local average. The forest school and sensory room are particular draws for parents who want outdoor learning and additional support for children with sensory needs.

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