Skipton, Water Street Community Primary School

About Skipton, Water Street Community Primary School

Skipton, Water Street Community Primary School holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a solid outcome that places it among the stronger primary schools in North Yorkshire. The school’s academic story is best told through its Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 year, where 85% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits well above the local authority average of 60%, and it’s what earned the school a ranking of 16th out of 292 primary schools in North Yorkshire. In national terms, it sits in the top 6% of all primary schools, which is a genuinely strong performance for a community school of this size. The school’s previous Ofsted inspection, back in 2007, rated it Outstanding overall, so the current Good grade represents a change in rating rather than a decline in standards — the inspection framework itself has shifted significantly in the intervening years.

Digging into the detail of those KS2 results, the school’s strongest subject is writing, where 94% of pupils reached the expected standard, followed by reading at 91% and maths at 88%. At the higher standard, maths leads with 38% of pupils achieving that level, compared with 32% in reading and just 12% in writing. Average scaled scores sit at 108 for maths and 107 for reading, both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. The Ofsted breakdown from 2023 shows every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — all rated Good. There’s no specific progress data available for reading, writing or maths, so it’s hard to say how much value the school adds for individual pupils, but the raw attainment figures are clearly well above the local norm.

The school is oversubscribed, with 97 applications for 30 places in the 2025/26 intake, and 37 of those were first-preference choices. That works out at more than three applicants per place, so families need to be strategic about their application. Facilities include a library, music rooms, a sensory room, a forest school area, an ICT suite and a chapel, plus playing fields and an outdoor playground. Sports on offer include swimming, dance, gymnastics, netball, tennis and athletics, and there are clubs for gardening, art, eco activities and coding. The school has SEND provision for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, visual impairment, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs. With 216 pupils against a capacity of 210, the school is running slightly over its official number, and 8.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average. This is a school that suits families who value strong academic outcomes in a community setting, but who are prepared for a competitive admissions process.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Skipton, Water Street Community Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents