Ravensworth Church of England Primary School Review 2026: Small rural primary with strong KS2 outcomes and a clear Church school identity

The 2024 Key Stage 2 results are strong, and the details reinforce that it is not a single subject spike.

• Reading, writing and mathematics (combined expected standard): 83.3%, compared with the England average of 62%.

• Higher standard (reading, writing and mathematics): 44.3%, compared with the England average of 8%.

• Average scaled scores: Reading 110, mathematics 106, grammar, punctuation and spelling 107.

These are the kind of figures that typically reflect consistent teaching habits and careful targeting of gaps, particularly in a setting where a small cohort can quickly expose any weak link in the curriculum. (In very small schools, year to year movement can be more pronounced because each pupil represents a larger share of the cohort, so it is worth reading any single year alongside broader context.)

Rankings, based on FindMySchool analysis of official data, provide another lens. Ranked 2,526th in England and 4th in Richmond for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), this places the school above the England average and comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England for primary performance.

Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view these measures side by side with nearby primaries, which is often more useful than relying on a single headline statistic.

Curriculum quality in a small primary is often about sequencing and coverage. The 2022 inspection describes an ambitious, engaging curriculum with knowledge organised logically across early years to Year 6, supported by subject leadership that sits across the wider school collaboration. The implication for families is practical: children benefit from coherent progression even when classes are mixed age, because teachers are teaching from a shared map rather than improvising year by year.

Early reading is presented as a deliberate priority. A systematic phonics scheme, staff training to deliver it, and tight matching of reading books to pupils’ phonics knowledge are all described as features that help pupils who fall behind to catch up quickly. That matters in a small school where gaps can persist if not addressed early, and it helps explain why the reading scaled score sits well above typical benchmarks.

Mathematics is described with similar clarity: teachers identify small steps, teach prerequisite knowledge explicitly, and avoid assuming that pupils already have the building blocks for problem solving or more complex concepts. For pupils, that usually translates to fewer “mystery jumps” in learning and more confidence when moving from fluency to application.

As a village primary, the next stage is shaped by North Yorkshire’s admissions and catchment arrangements. Families typically move on to a local secondary school serving the Richmond area, with Richmond School & Sixth Form College being one established option in the town.

The practical step is to check the local authority’s catchment mapping for your exact address, because catchment lines do not always match nearest by straight line distance. The school’s small size can be an advantage in transition, since teachers can take a very individual approach to readiness and handover, and the 2022 inspection references purposeful work to broaden experiences beyond the immediate community through trips and visits, which supports pupils socially as well as academically.

Reception entry follows North Yorkshire’s coordinated admissions process. Key dates for September 2026 Reception entry are published by the local authority:

• Application round opens 12 October 2025

• Closing date 15 January 2026

• Last date to change an application 22 February 2026

• National Offer Day 16 April 2026

• Appeals deadline 15 May 2026

The school is part of the Dales Academies Trust and states that admissions follow the local authority arrangements, with in year applications handled directly by the school.

Demand is real, albeit on a very small number of places. The most recent admissions figures provided show 8 applications for 5 offers (around 1.6 applications per place), recorded as oversubscribed. In a small setting, a handful of additional applicants can change the picture quickly, so families should treat competitiveness as variable year to year.

If you are weighing your chances across multiple schools, the FindMySchool Map Search can help you compare practical travel distance and shortlist options, even when published cut off distances are not available.

Small schools live or die by pastoral consistency, and the available evidence points to a settled approach. Pupils report feeling safe, bullying is not presented as a prominent concern, and safeguarding is described as having a strong culture with regular training and clear processes for identifying concerns.

There is also an explicit link made between safeguarding culture and mental health support, which is a useful signal for families who want reassurance that wellbeing is treated as a daily responsibility rather than a termly theme.

In a very small primary, extracurricular life is most meaningful when it is practical and tied to the pupils you actually have that term. The school’s wraparound provision describes activity based sessions that change, with examples including kite making, science experiments, art and craft, pizza making and baking. The implication is that younger pupils get structured play and older pupils still find novelty, rather than repeating the same narrow set of clubs all year.

Outdoor learning is a more distinctive pillar than a conventional club list. The 2022 inspection describes pupils developing science, geography and history knowledge through exploration of the school’s forest area and the local environment, which is a concrete example of curriculum delivery, not a marketing phrase. When this is done well, it supports vocabulary development, writing quality, and scientific thinking because pupils have real experiences to draw on.

School communications also reference theme based clubs and events that reflect what a small community school can do quickly, for example dance club, mindfulness and board games activities, and sport focused sessions at lunchtime in other periods.

The published school day runs from 8.30am to 3.10pm, with pupils arriving from 8.20am, and collective worship scheduled as part of the afternoon timetable.

Wraparound care is available through breakfast and after school provision, with activities described on the school’s website; families should confirm current session times and availability directly, since these can change with staffing and demand.

The rural village location means many families will prioritise straightforward travel logistics, particularly in winter months. North Yorkshire’s school admissions guidance includes tools for checking nearest schools and catchment areas, which is useful if you are comparing multiple routes.

• Very small cohorts. A small roll can be a major strength socially and pastorally, but it can also mean friendships and dynamics feel more intense for some children, and year group composition matters more than it would in a larger primary.

• Curriculum consistency is still being embedded in places. The latest inspection highlights that while curriculum plans are in place for most subjects, implementation was not yet fully embedded in some areas, with transitional arrangements applied.

• Rural context can limit everyday breadth. External evaluation notes that some pupils have limited experiences beyond the local community, and the school addresses this through trips and visits. Families who want frequent access to big city museums, theatres, or specialist sport venues may find the geography a practical constraint.

For families who actively want a small, rural Church of England primary where staff know pupils closely and where outdoor learning is genuinely used to teach the curriculum, this is a strong option. The academic data is reassuring, and the safeguarding and behaviour picture is calm and well organised. It suits children who thrive in a tight knit setting and families who value community scale schooling. The main trade off is that the experience depends heavily on cohort mix and on how well curriculum plans translate into consistent classroom practice across all subjects.