Stillington Primary School

About Stillington Primary School

Stillington Primary School sends a strong signal to parents through its admission figures: for just 3 places in the 2025/26 intake, the school received 13 total applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.33. All three first-preference families were offered a place, but with more than four applicants for every spot, it is clearly a popular choice in the North Yorkshire area. The school is small, with only 30 pupils on roll against a capacity of 49, and it serves a community where 51.7% of children are eligible for free school meals. This context makes the school’s recent Ofsted upgrade particularly notable. In its most recent graded inspection in March 2024, Stillington was rated Good overall, a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2021. Every inspected category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — was judged Good, suggesting consistent progress across the board.

Academically, the school does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results in the available data, so direct comparison with the North Yorkshire local authority average of 60% is not possible here. However, the Ofsted report provides a detailed picture of classroom quality. The school’s quality of education was rated Good, up from a 3 (Requires Improvement) in the previous inspection, and the same improvement was seen in personal development and overall effectiveness. Behaviour and attitudes also rose from a 2 to a Good rating. The early years provision held steady at Good across both inspections. While there are no exam scores to benchmark against local peers such as Eppleby Forcett or Sacred Heart Catholic Primary, the upward trajectory in Ofsted grades suggests that teaching and learning have strengthened considerably. The school’s small size means class sizes are very small, which can allow for more individual attention, though this is not a guarantee of outcomes.

Stillington offers a practical, grounded environment for families. Facilities include a dining hall, library, art studios, and a forest school, alongside an outdoor playground and a chapel. Sports provision covers athletics, rounders, swimming, cross country, and dance, while after-school clubs include coding, gardening, and drama. The school has specific SEND support for dyslexia, social emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication difficulties — useful for parents whose children may need targeted help. With nursery provision on site, it can serve families from age 3 through to Year 6. The oversubscription ratio of 4.33 means that applying as a first preference is essential, and even then, places are very limited. This school will suit families who value a small, community-focused primary with strong recent Ofsted momentum, and who are comfortable with a highly competitive admissions process in a rural North Yorkshire setting.

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