Crakehall Church of England Primary School Review 2026: High-attaining village primary with a strong faith character

Small primaries can be hard to judge from the outside, but the data here is unusually clear. In 2024, 91% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 2, well above the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 51% reached greater depth across reading, writing and maths, compared with 8% across England.

Set on The Green in Crakehall and serving pupils aged 4 to 11, the school operates with roughly 90 to 100 children on roll across four classes, within a published capacity of 106. It is part of the Synergy Schools Federation, a structure that shapes leadership, staffing, and curriculum planning across the group.

For families who want a state primary with very strong outcomes, clear routines, and a Church of England identity that is visible in daily life, this is a serious contender. The main trade-off is availability, demand exceeds places for Reception entry.

Crakehall’s identity is built around its vision of growing together, and it shows up most clearly in how pupils take responsibility for one another. Older pupils act as buddies for younger children, and leadership roles such as subject ambassadors and the eco-council give pupils structured ways to contribute to school life. The result is a calm, purposeful feel, with kindness and respect as the expected norm rather than a special initiative.

Leadership is organised through the federation model. Mr Mike White is Executive Headteacher of the Synergy Schools Federation, with a recorded appointment date of 20 May 2024. Day-to-day school leadership sits with the Head of School, Mrs N Rayner. For parents, this split can be a benefit, it means operational decisions and family relationships are handled locally, while finance, governance and shared improvement planning sit at federation level.

The Church of England character is not an add-on. It is reinforced through formal inspection of the school’s Christian ethos, with the most recent SIAMS inspection dated November 2023. Families who value faith-informed values and worship will recognise the language and rhythm; families who prefer a more secular tone should read the school’s ethos materials carefully before committing.

The 2024 Key Stage 2 picture places Crakehall among the stronger primaries in England, not just locally. The school ranks 745th in England and 1st in the Bedale area for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), a level consistent with being well above England average (top 10%).

In 2024, 91% met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with the England average of 62%. Reading and maths were particularly high, with 91% reaching the expected standard in each. Science also stood at 91% meeting the expected standard, above the England average of 82%.

Scaled scores add detail to the headline. Reading averaged 111, mathematics 108, and grammar, punctuation and spelling 109. The combined score across reading, GPS and maths was 328. For parents, the implication is not simply that pupils pass the benchmarks, but that attainment is strong across the core measures, including writing depth (36% assessed at greater depth in writing).

If you are comparing nearby primaries, FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages are useful for viewing these measures side-by-side, including how the school’s ranks and attainment sit relative to local alternatives.

The curriculum is designed to be broader than a small-school timetable sometimes allows, and federation working is part of how this is achieved. Subject leadership roles are published across staff, and pupils also take part as subject ambassadors, which helps embed curriculum expectations as part of everyday practice rather than occasional theme weeks.

A practical example is music. The school sets out that pupils receive one hour of music teaching per week across the academic year, aligned to the Department for Education’s Model Music Curriculum. That kind of protected time matters in a primary setting because it improves consistency and reduces the risk that foundation subjects get crowded out by assessment pressures.

Forest School is another distinctive strand. The stated aims include self-awareness, self-regulation, intrinsic motivation, empathy, communication skills, independence, and confidence. In practice, this tends to suit children who learn well through hands-on tasks, outdoor problem-solving, and structured risk-taking. It also supports confidence for pupils who may not always be first to put their hand up in a classroom discussion.

As a primary school, the key transition is into Year 7, and this is where rural geography and local authority admissions matter. Secondary allocation will depend on home address and North Yorkshire Council’s arrangements, so families should treat “likely destinations” as postcode-led rather than school-led.

What the school does show, however, is active relationship-building with local partners. Pupils from service families are described as taking part in workshops with Bedale High School, which is a helpful marker that transition links exist and are used in practice, not just referenced on paper.

For families planning ahead, it is sensible to look at the secondary options early, then map your likely pathways from your address. A catchment-led check, plus a realistic look at transport time, often makes more difference in North Yorkshire than the finer points of a prospectus.

Crakehall is a voluntary controlled Church of England primary, with admissions handled by North Yorkshire Council rather than the school governing body. For parents, that means applications are submitted through the local authority process, and oversubscription is resolved through the published local authority criteria rather than interviews or informal preference.

Demand data suggests competition for Reception places. For the relevant admissions route, there were 59 applications for 23 offers, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed. Put another way, that is about 2.57 applications per place, which is significant for a village primary.

For September 2026 entry, North Yorkshire Council’s timetable states that the application round opens on 12 October 2025, with a closing date of 15 January 2026. Changes are typically allowed up to 22 February 2026, and offers are released on 16 April 2026. If you are weighing a move, use FindMySchool Map Search to check the practical reality of distance and travel time; even when no single “catchment boundary” is advertised, proximity and logistics often decide whether a school is workable day to day.

The pastoral model is closely tied to routines, behaviour expectations, and structured pupil responsibility. Buddying, pupil leadership roles, and a calm learning atmosphere are repeatedly reinforced through how the school describes its community, and pupils are reported as feeling safe and cared for.

Support for additional needs is organised through federation roles as well as in-school staff. The published staff structure includes a federation SENCO, which is often a strength in small schools because it helps sustain expertise, training, and consistent practice even when individual class sizes are small.

Faith also shapes pastoral language. In Church schools, the important question is whether the faith expression feels inclusive and practical rather than performative. Here, the evidence suggests that the ethos is embedded into how pupils are encouraged to treat one another, rather than being reserved for collective worship alone.

A small roll can limit choice, but Crakehall tackles this by making enrichment highly structured. Wraparound care sits alongside clubs, and booking is handled through a single system, which reduces friction for parents and increases the chance pupils attend consistently rather than sporadically.

The club programme changes by term, and the school references clubs such as Dodgeball and Music Club, as well as wider opportunities including science club. The value is not the label of a club, it is what regular participation does for confidence, friendships across year groups, and pupils who need an additional “place to belong” beyond the classroom.

Leadership opportunities extend into enrichment. Roles like eco-council membership and being a subject ambassador add genuine responsibility, and for pupils who are developing their voice, that matters. It creates a culture where contributing is normal, which can be especially helpful in mixed-age classes or smaller cohorts where every pupil’s engagement is more visible.

The school day is staggered, with arrival between 8.45am and 8.55am and collection at 3.25pm, totalling 32.5 hours in a typical week. Wraparound care is clearly defined. Breakfast club runs from 8.00am each morning, with an option for early drop-off from 8.20am. After-school care is provided through Tea Timers, which runs Monday to Friday from 3.25pm to 6pm.

The setting is rural and village-centred, so most families will want to plan carefully for drop-off logistics, walking routes, and any local constraints. The school offers visits and guided tours by arrangement, which is usually the quickest way to test whether the day-to-day practicalities fit your family.

• Competition for Reception places. With 59 applications for 23 offers on the recorded entry route, entry pressure is real. Families should plan with alternatives in mind and submit preferences carefully.

• Federation leadership model. Some parents like the additional capacity and shared expertise; others prefer a single on-site headteacher model. It is worth understanding which decisions sit with the Head of School and which sit at federation level.

• A faith identity that is meaningful. The Church of England character is a defining feature, and formal inspection of ethos reflects that. Families who do not want a faith-shaped approach should explore this before committing.

• Small-school dynamics. Four classes and a roll around 90 to 100 can be excellent for belonging and visibility, but it may offer less year-group breadth than a larger town primary.

Crakehall Church of England Primary School combines the advantages of a small village school with outcomes that are strong by any benchmark. High Key Stage 2 results, a calm culture, and structured enrichment make it a compelling choice for families who value academic strength alongside a clear values framework.

Best suited to families seeking a Church of England primary with very strong attainment and a close-knit feel, and who are prepared for oversubscription pressure at Reception entry.