The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
A school of this size inevitably feels personal. With around 29 pupils on roll, the staff team knows families well, routines are predictable, and it is hard for children to disappear in the crowd.
The setting is unusually distinctive for a village primary. The buildings date back to 1879, and the grounds sit directly beside the River Ouse, with large ships passing by as a regular backdrop to school life. Outside space is a real asset, with a grassed play area, an adventure trail, a gazebo, a football pitch, table tennis tables, and outdoor gym equipment installed after an Awards for All lottery bid.
Leadership is stable and visible. Matthew Herbert is named as headteacher on the school’s own staff information and on the government’s official records service, and the most recent official inspection record notes he took up the substantive headteacher post in April 2023.
Small schools can feel intense, either in a good way, where everyone is known and supported, or in a challenging way, where there is nowhere to hide on a difficult day. Here, the evidence points towards the positive version. Relationships are described as warm and respectful, with bullying characterised as rare and dealt with quickly.
The school positions itself as deeply rooted in its local area. The prospectus explicitly frames the intake as rural, mentioning surrounding communities such as Whitgift, Adlingfleet, Ousefleet, Garthorpe, and Swinefleet Common. That emphasis on local belonging also shows up in practical ways, such as a school-led Out of School Club that is designed around the rhythms of working family life, rather than assuming every parent can do a 3.30pm pickup.
The school’s stated aims are unusually clear and child-facing. Pupils are encouraged to see themselves as confident, happy, independent, respectful, and proud, summed up in a simple identity phrase used in school materials. In a setting this small, shared language matters. It gives staff and pupils a common way to talk about behaviour, relationships, and personal growth without relying on complicated reward systems or abstract values posters.
Early years appears to be a particular focal point, which makes sense given the school admits children from age 3. The Early Years Foundation Stage space is described in detail, including a reading corner, sand and water area, construction zone, painting area, and a dedicated outdoor area with its own playground equipment, reading shed, mud kitchen, and bikes and trikes. This is not generic marketing language, it is a concrete description of how the youngest children are meant to learn, through structured zones indoors and purposeful play outside.
Reedness sits in the category of schools where national performance reporting is often limited by cohort size. The school states that its end of key stage results are not published for 2024/25 because there are fewer than 10 pupils in Year 6. That matters for parents because it means you should not expect the usual headline percentages that many primary reviews rely on.
In the absence of published key stage 2 figures, the best proxy for academic effectiveness is how clearly the curriculum is designed, and whether gaps are identified and addressed quickly. The school describes a bespoke curriculum built around defined aims, and it publishes subject-level curriculum explanations, for example in English, where writing is described as structured through “sentence stacking” and modelling.
There is also a useful historical marker of improvement priorities. The 2023 inspection record (ungraded) flagged reading in key stage 2 and curriculum sequencing as areas that needed sharper planning at that time. The 2025 graded inspection profile shows “Good” across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision, suggesting the school was able to respond to those earlier concerns with a more coherent approach.
Because published results are not available, parents comparing schools locally should treat Reedness as a “visit and verify” option. Use FindMySchool’s Local Hub comparison tools to benchmark nearby primaries where data is published, then use the visit to judge whether Reedness’s teaching and curriculum approach fits your child’s needs and temperament.
In a very small primary, teaching and learning often depends less on formal setting structures and more on tight planning and mixed-age responsiveness. The prospectus makes clear that early years children join Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 children with a qualified teacher and a teaching assistant, which signals an approach where younger pupils benefit from close adult attention and a stable small-team model.
The curriculum intent is presented as bespoke and values-driven, rather than simply a standard national curriculum delivered with minimal adaptation. The school describes clear aims that sit alongside subject coverage, and subject pages give some insight into pedagogy. In English, the writing approach is framed around modelling and structured lesson sequences, designed to build confidence with sentence structure rather than leaving writing quality to “natural talent”.
A second strand is experiential learning. The school explicitly describes cooking, gardening, outdoor learning, dance, drama, and computing as part of its educational offer. That suggests a curriculum that tries to keep knowledge grounded in real activities, which can be particularly effective for younger pupils who learn best through practical application and talk-rich experiences. The implication for families is straightforward: children who thrive with hands-on learning are likely to find the day engaging, while children who prefer longer, quieter desk-based stretches may need careful support to manage the more active rhythm.
For a primary of this size, transition matters because pupils can move from a very small, familiar environment into a much larger secondary setting. The school’s prospectus names recent destination secondaries as including Goole High School, Holy Family Catholic High School, The Axholme Academy, and Read School.
That list gives a useful practical cue. Families can focus their secondary research on these likely pathways, and ask very specific questions: how does Reedness prepare pupils for larger-school routines, independent organisation, and the social step-change of moving into Year 7? The prospectus also references staff liaison and opportunities for older primary pupils to use secondary facilities, which typically helps reduce anxiety and makes the move feel less abrupt.
Admissions for Reception are coordinated by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, with Reedness operating as a community school. The school’s own admissions guidance emphasises applying on time through your home local authority, rather than contacting the school as the primary route for Reception entry.
The catchment is described in school material as covering Reedness Parish and the Parish of Twin Rivers, extending along the riverside and onto Swinefleet Common, with an admissions limit of fifteen pupils per year. In a school this small, that published admission number is important context. Even modest year-to-year variation in births, moving patterns, or sibling cohorts can shift availability quickly.
Demand data indicates mild oversubscription at primary entry in the latest available figures, with 10 applications and 9 offers. With numbers this small, it does not take many additional families to change the picture, so it is sensible to treat this as an indicator rather than a long-term trend.
For September 2026 entry, the local authority portal opened on 01 September 2025, and the closing date for on-time Reception applications was 15 January 2026. National Offer Day for primary places is listed as 16 April 2026.
Nursery entry is separate. The prospectus states that admission as a nursery pupil is after a child’s third birthday, and that the school will arrange an introduction process once a place is confirmed. Do note the nursery-fee rule for parents: early years costs can change and should be checked directly with the school’s official information, rather than relying on third-party summaries.
If you are weighing how realistic a place is based on distance, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to measure your home-to-school distance consistently, then compare that to the local authority’s published criteria and the pattern of offers in recent years. Even when distance data is not publicly reported, this is still the most reliable way to sense-check your chances.
Applications
10
Total received
Places Offered
9
Subscription Rate
1.1x
Apps per place
In a tiny primary, pastoral care is usually less about large formal teams and more about early noticing and quick response. Official evidence points to high-quality pastoral care, with children feeling safe, and families valuing the school’s approach to wellbeing.
Safeguarding systems are described as effective, including staff training, vigilance in reporting, and awareness of local contextual risks. The curriculum for personal development includes specific safety education such as water safety and online safety, which is particularly relevant given the school’s riverside setting and rural travel patterns.
SEND support is also explicitly referenced as inclusive and equitable. The 2025 report notes pupils with SEND are supported well and have equal opportunities alongside peers. For parents, the practical implication is that this is likely to suit children who need consistent adult relationships and clear routines, particularly in the earlier years, even if specialist capacity will always be limited compared with a large urban primary.
The most convincing extracurricular picture here is not a long list of clubs, but an everyday culture built around practical activity. The school explicitly frames cooking, gardening, outdoor learning, dance, drama, and computing as part of its rounded offer. In a small school, that matters because breadth often comes from integrating experiences into curriculum time, rather than running ten different clubs after 3.30pm.
Two named community structures are worth calling out because they shape the feel of school life. First, the Friends of Reedness School parent group is referenced in school materials as part of how the school “extends into the community”. Second, Friends of Reedness School runs a free Uniform Swap Shop, which can significantly reduce the cost and stress of uniform for families, especially as children grow quickly in the early years.
Wraparound is unusually well-specified for a village primary. The school publishes a Breakfast and After School Club with structured timings (typically 8.00am to 8.50am for breakfast club, and 3.30pm to 5.00pm after school), and describes themed activity days that rotate between sport, crafts, and similar options. The club policy also refers to a Friday walking club as the only off-site activity permitted within wraparound sessions, which gives a useful sense of boundaries and risk management.
Facilities support this practical approach. The prospectus lists a library, school hall, and modern hall with a kitchen, plus outdoor equipment that allows play, sport, and physical development without needing specialist off-site venues.
The school day is clearly published: lessons start at 8.50am, school finishes at 3.30pm, and the compulsory week is stated as 32 hours and 30 minutes. Breakfast club and after-school club operate as wraparound provision, which is a major advantage for working parents in a rural area where commuting can be unavoidable.
Transport is partly shaped by geography. The prospectus describes school-arranged minibus transport for pupils more than two miles from school but within catchment, and it names a service pattern covering local villages and hamlets. For families considering the school from slightly further afield, this can materially change the daily logistics, but it is still sensible to confirm current routes and eligibility directly because transport arrangements can change year to year.
Drop-off and pickup routines appear designed for practicality, with the prospectus describing parents being able to drive onto school grounds at home time. In a small village setting, that kind of detail often matters more than it would in a city school, because parking and road width constraints can quickly become daily friction points.
Published results limits. Key stage 2 results may not be published in years where the cohort is fewer than 10 pupils, which makes it harder to compare Reedness directly against other schools using headline percentages. Families should rely more on curriculum clarity, teaching consistency, and how well the school responds to identified gaps.
Tiny cohort dynamics. With roughly 29 pupils on roll, peer groups are small. Many children will enjoy the closeness; others may find friendship choice limited, particularly in upper juniors.
Rural logistics. Catchment and transport are shaped by village geography and riverside roads. The school describes minibus transport for some pupils and a catchment spanning several miles, which can be a strength for access, but it can also mean longer travel days for some children.
Curriculum expectations. Earlier official feedback highlighted the need to strengthen reading in key stage 2 and curriculum sequencing. The current inspection profile is positive, but parents of keen readers should still ask how reading is promoted across the juniors, not only in early phonics.
Reedness Primary School is defined by scale and setting. The mix of very small numbers, a clear community identity, and practical, hands-on learning (cooking, gardening, outdoor activity) creates an experience that can suit children who learn best through doing and thrive when adults know them well.
Best suited to families who want a highly personal primary education with strong wraparound support and a village-centred ethos. The key question is fit: in a school this small, your child’s experience will be shaped as much by cohort dynamics and teaching style as by formal structures.
The latest Ofsted inspection in July 2025 graded all key areas as Good, including quality of education and early years provision. With published key stage 2 data sometimes unavailable due to very small Year 6 cohorts, the strongest evidence tends to come from inspection detail, curriculum clarity, and the day-to-day consistency families see on visits.
School information describes a catchment covering Reedness Parish and the Parish of Twin Rivers, extending along the riverside and onto Swinefleet Common. Because admissions are coordinated by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, families should always cross-check the latest published criteria in the council’s admissions information, especially if applying from outside the immediate parish area.
Yes. The school publishes a Breakfast and After School Club, typically running in the morning before lessons start and after school until 5.00pm, with themed activity days as part of the offer.
For September 2026 entry, East Riding of Yorkshire Council listed the on-time closing date as 15 January 2026, with the application portal open from 01 September 2025. Families applying for later years should follow the council’s in-year process, which the school also summarises in its admissions guidance.
The school prospectus names recent transfer destinations including Goole High School, Holy Family Catholic High School (Carlton), The Axholme Academy, and Read School (Drax). Families may want to ask how transition is managed from a very small primary into larger secondary settings, including visits and liaison arrangements.
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