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.
Small rural primaries live or die by relationships, and this school leans into that reality with confidence. With a published capacity of 52 and around 43 pupils on roll, the experience is intentionally intimate, mixed-age, and highly personal. The day-to-day set up is also distinctive, teaching happens across two classrooms, with pupils regularly accessing specialist teaching through the Upper Wharfedale Primary Federation, including subjects such as PE, music and French.
The school’s Church of England character is visible in routine rather than in occasional ceremony, with daily collective worship and frequent connections to local church life. Competition for places can be sharp even in a small school, with the most recent Reception application data in the FindMySchool results showing 18 applications for 3 offers. For families who want a village school where children are genuinely known, this is the kind of setting that can feel both reassuring and demanding, because in a small community every child’s experience matters.
The defining feature here is scale. In a two-class structure, pupils spend more of their week in mixed-age groups than they would in a larger primary, and that shapes everything from classroom routines to friendships. Done well, mixed-age teaching creates a calm, cooperative culture, younger pupils absorb expectations quickly, older pupils practise responsibility in everyday ways, and staff can revisit learning at multiple depths rather than racing through content once.
The school positions itself as part of a wider federation rather than an isolated outpost. In practice, that matters for breadth. Weekly federation activity, and specialist teaching across schools, can give pupils access to expertise that a single small site would struggle to staff alone. It also means families should expect a little more movement between sites and shared provision than in a standalone village school.
Christian values are presented as the organising language for school life, including love, kindness, forgiveness, thankfulness and trust. The school’s stated vision, Be the Light (Matthew 5:14), is used as a shared reference point across the federation, and the structure of worship reflects that. The Christian Character information also describes a collective worship committee, and a weekly Praise Assembly where shine awards recognise pupil achievement. For many families, that combination of routine worship and child-led contribution is exactly the tone they want from a Church of England primary, faith-shaped but accessible to families with a range of observance.
In practical terms, that means families should rely more heavily on curriculum quality, teaching consistency, safeguarding culture, and how well the small-school model fits their child. The latest Ofsted inspection in January 2024 confirmed the school continues to be rated Good.
Teaching is built around mixed-age classes, which tends to reward careful curriculum sequencing and precise assessment. The federation’s curriculum framing emphasises enquiry, problem solving, and learning through direct experience, with outdoor learning given a dedicated place in the school’s published approach. The Outdoor Learning page sets out aims that include ownership of learning, resilience, collaboration and managed risk, which translates well to a rural site with space to use meaningfully, rather than a token outdoor area.
The federation model also shapes subject delivery. The school states that pupils come together at least once a week with peers from their own year group to access specialist teaching, including PE, music and French. That approach can be particularly valuable in small cohorts where year-group isolation can otherwise limit peer comparison and collaborative learning.
For pupils who thrive with close adult oversight and clear routines, two-class schools can be a strong fit. The trade-off is that pupils who strongly prefer large peer groups, frequent regrouping, and a wide range of same-age friendship options may find the social scale more constrained.
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
FMS Inspection Score calculated by FindMySchool based on official inspection data.
As a state primary serving ages 4 to 11, the main transition point is into Year 7. The practical reality in this part of North Yorkshire is that secondary options may involve travel, and families often weigh transport time alongside school preference.
In a small primary, transition work tends to be more bespoke. Year 6 pupils can receive highly targeted preparation for the organisational shift to secondary, and staff often know families well enough to anticipate support needs early. For pupils who may find change hard, that level of individual planning can be a genuine advantage.
This is a state school with no tuition fees. Admissions for Reception are coordinated through the local authority rather than through private registration.
The FindMySchool admissions data supplied for this review indicates high demand in the most recent recorded cycle, with 18 applications for 3 offers in the Reception entry route. Put simply, even small schools can be highly competitive when the catchment is tight and places are limited.
For September 2026 entry, North Yorkshire’s published timeline shows the primary application round opening on 12 October 2025 and closing on 15 January 2026, with offers made on 16 April 2026. Those dates are now in the past relative to today (07 February 2026). For the next cycle, families should expect applications to open in October and close in mid January, with offers released in mid April, and should check the local authority timetable each year as exact dates can shift.
The school’s own website includes an Admissions page, but the substantive detail is primarily delivered through local authority arrangements and federation policies.
Applications
18
Total received
Places Offered
3
Subscription Rate
6.0x
Apps per place
Pastoral support in small primaries is often less about formal systems and more about daily contact. When a school has around 40 to 50 pupils, staff can notice patterns quickly, attendance changes, friendship tensions, or confidence dips, and can respond before issues harden into something bigger. The federation framing also highlights inclusion, and the school’s safeguarding information identifies designated safeguarding roles within the staff structure.
Faith-based schools can sometimes create uncertainty for non-churchgoing families, but the published worship approach is explicit about being sensitive to everyone while maintaining a Christian emphasis. That tends to matter most in collective worship, festivals and the way values language is used in behaviour expectations.
The formal Clubs page is currently sparse, but the wider school site does provide a few specific, school-shaped examples that go beyond generic after-school lists.
First, there is an after-school garden club linked to the allotment. The Facilities information describes pupils growing fruit, vegetables and herbs, using a greenhouse for seedlings, and developing a woodland area in the field. This is not just “outdoor play”, it is a sustained project where pupils take responsibility for ongoing care, seasonal planning, and practical problem solving.
Second, the Christian Character material describes a collective worship committee that helps lead and evaluate worship, including writing prayers and supporting daily worship routines. In a small school, that kind of pupil leadership role can be meaningful because it is visible and repeated, not a one-off.
Third, the school references shine awards within a weekly Praise Assembly, which operates as a structured recognition moment and a shared community routine.
Sport is supported through federation-wide planning and facilities beyond the immediate site. The school notes that Year 3 pupils travel to Upper Wharfedale School weekly to use a swimming pool and sports hall for swimming and PE. That matters for families who want swimming taught properly rather than as an occasional enrichment day.
This is a state primary with no tuition fees, though families should budget for the usual extras such as uniform, trips and optional clubs.
Published opening times show the day running from 9.00am to 3.30pm. Wraparound care is available, with breakfast club and access to federation after-school provision. The school states that breakfast club runs from 7.45am on site and that after-school care operates through the federation at Grassington Primary, with pupils transported by minibus. The breakfast club fee is listed as £3.50 per session, and it is described as running Monday to Thursday.
The rural context has practical implications. Drop-off and pick-up are likely to be car-led for many families, and the use of Cracoe Village Hall for lunches, PE and productions shows how the school makes local infrastructure part of the school day.
Small cohort realities. With around 43 pupils on roll and a capacity of 52, social groups are naturally limited. For some children this is secure and confidence-building; for others it can feel restrictive if friendship issues arise.
High competition for places. The most recent Reception entry data shows 18 applications for 3 offers. Families should treat admission as competitive and keep alternative options active.
Faith life is routine, not occasional. Daily collective worship and strong church links are part of the school’s stated identity. Families who want a more secular tone should weigh that carefully.
Movement across federation provision. Swimming and some wraparound care involve travel to federation sites or local facilities. That can broaden opportunity, but it adds logistics.
Cracoe and Rylstone Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School is a small, relationship-led village primary where federation support helps broaden the curriculum beyond what a single tiny site could typically sustain. The Christian character is expressed through daily routines, pupil leadership in worship, and regular connection to the local church, rather than being a superficial label.
Best suited to families who actively want a small-school experience, value a Church of England ethos, and are comfortable with federation logistics for wraparound care and some specialist provision. The main barrier is likely to be admission rather than day-to-day quality, so families considering this option should plan early and keep parallel choices open.
The school is currently rated Good, with the most recent Ofsted inspection taking place in January 2024. It is a small primary where pupils are taught in mixed-age classes, supported by federation-wide access to specialist teaching.
As with most state primaries, places are allocated through the local authority’s admissions arrangements. Because demand can exceed available places in small schools, families should check the North Yorkshire admissions criteria for how priority is given, for example siblings, distance, and any other applicable rules.
Yes. The school publishes that it offers breakfast club and access to federation after-school provision, with transport provided to Grassington Primary for after-school care. Breakfast club is listed at £3.50 per session, and families are advised to confirm timings with the school office.
Applications for September 2026 entry were opened by the local authority in October 2025 and closed in mid January 2026, with offers issued in April 2026. For the next cycle, applications typically open in October and close in mid January, so families should check the North Yorkshire timetable each year.
Scale and rural setting are the headline differences. The school operates with two mixed-age classes, uses Cracoe Village Hall for lunches and PE, and has an allotment-based garden club. It also draws on federation provision for specialist teaching and swimming access.
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