Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Review 2026: Small Federation School with Strong KS2 Outcomes

KS2 attainment and scaled scores (most recent published data: 2024)

The headline combined measure is the percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 2.

• 67% met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics (England average 62%).

• 12.67% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, above the England higher standard benchmark of 8%.

• Science: 88% met the expected standard (England average 82%).

• Scaled scores: Reading 105, Maths 103, Grammar, punctuation and spelling 103.

For families, the implication is straightforward. On current published outcomes, the end of primary attainment picture is above England average on the combined expected standard measure, and the proportion reaching the higher standard is also stronger than England norms. That suggests the school can stretch some pupils beyond the baseline, not merely get them over it.

Rankings context (FindMySchool proprietary ranking based on official data)

Rankings can help contextualise outcomes, but small cohorts make league-position style figures more volatile than in larger primaries.

• Ranked 10,234th in England and 11th in the Skipton area for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

• This places the school below England average overall, within the bottom 40% band on the ranking distribution.

How can both be true, above-average KS2 expected standard in 2024, but a lower overall England ranking? Rankings typically reflect a bundle of measures, and year-on-year variation in small cohorts can move the needle sharply. The practical takeaway for parents is to treat 2024 attainment as encouraging, and then look for consistency over time during visits and conversations, especially around mixed-age teaching and how the school supports pupils who need either extra challenge or targeted catch-up.

Two aspects of the teaching model stand out from official evidence and the school’s own framing.

First, curriculum planning is designed to avoid the classic small-school trap, mixed-age classes that inadvertently lower ambition or repeat content. The inspection describes an ambitious curriculum with clearly identified knowledge pupils should remember, plus federation days intended to ensure pupils are not disadvantaged by mixed-age grouping.

Second, early reading is treated as a core craft. The inspection describes phonics being delivered well, struggling readers being identified quickly, and pupils reading matched books that align to the sounds they are learning. Once pupils are fluent, the library and reading culture become the “engine” rather than the intervention, including incentives tied to consistent reading and book selection linked to a local bookshop.

Where the school is still working to sharpen practice is also clearly signposted. The most recent inspection notes that in early years, plans are less precise in some wider areas of learning beyond literacy and mathematics, with vocabulary and concepts not always specified tightly enough. It also notes inconsistency in how precisely SEND support is planned across the wider curriculum compared to English and mathematics. Those improvement areas matter because they tell you where leadership attention is likely to be focused, and where you may want to ask more detailed questions as a prospective parent.

For a small rural primary, transition is usually shaped by a combination of catchment reality, transport, and the local selective system.

In this part of North Yorkshire, a common non-selective route is Upper Wharfedale School, which states that around half of its students come from its catchment wards including Grassington.

For families considering selective pathways, North Yorkshire Council lists Ermysted’s Grammar School and Skipton Girls’ High School as selective grammar options in Skipton, each operating its own testing process and timescales. Ermysted’s published admissions policy defines its catchment as including areas served by primary schools including Grassington, which is relevant for families weighing where catchment priority may apply.

What this means in practice is that transition planning should start with transport and fit. Families leaning toward the local comprehensive route should ask about transition links and pastoral preparation for moving to a larger secondary environment. Families leaning toward grammar testing should be realistic about the workload and the emotional stakes in a small cohort, where friendship groups can split across destinations.

Admissions are coordinated through North Yorkshire Council for Reception entry. The council’s published timetable for Reception 2026 includes:

• Applications open: 12 October 2025

• Closing date: 15 January 2026

• National Offer Day for primary: 16 April 2026

Demand data indicates the school is oversubscribed for primary entry in the most recent cycle recorded:

• 24 applications for 9 offers, which is 2.67 applications per place, with first preferences matching offers (proportion 1.0).

• Demand level: Oversubscribed.

No “furthest distance at which a place was offered” figure is available for this school, so it is not possible to give a distance-based guide to competitiveness. Practically, families should focus on the published oversubscription criteria and the local authority application process, and use FindMySchool’s Map Search to understand real-world proximity if distance is a criterion in the local authority’s allocation rules.

Open day information on the federation website and news feeds appears to be published as specific dated events, but these are historic posts. The safer interpretation is that open events are typically scheduled in the early autumn term; families should check the school’s latest announcements for the current year’s dates.

A small school can feel either intensely supportive or overly exposed, depending on how adults manage relationships and expectations. Evidence here points toward a settled, supportive approach.

Safeguarding is the non-negotiable baseline, and the most recent inspection states safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Beyond safeguarding, the culture signals a high expectation environment without a punitive feel. Pupils are described as exceptionally well behaved and respectful, and the school council is positioned as active rather than symbolic, feeding into day-to-day improvements.

For SEND, the inspection and the school’s own inclusion framing suggest a commitment to identifying needs and planning support, with the main development work being consistency across the wider curriculum rather than just in English and maths.

Extracurricular life in a small school only works when it is specific, regular, and realistically resourced. The best evidence here is concrete.

Outdoor learning and sustainability

The allotment and garden club are not tokenistic. Children grow fruit, vegetables and herbs, and community links include work with Grassington in Bloom plus contribution to creating a bee-friendly wild meadow opposite the school. This provides a practical route into science, responsibility, and environmental literacy.

Sport with local partnerships

The school describes regular participation in area competitions and a goal that every child represents the school at some point. It also names local club relationships including Wharfedale Rugby Club, Grassington Juniors Football Club, and Upper Wharfedale Cricket Club. For families, named partnerships matter because they typically indicate easier access to coaching, fixtures, and continuity of sport outside school hours.

Wraparound and enrichment as a federation model

Wraparound provision is structured at federation level. After-school club is run by Kanga Sports at Grassington, with federation transport for children from other federation schools, and sessions run Monday to Thursday from 15:30 to 18:00. The provider’s description emphasises activity variety and outdoor play, which suits families prioritising active childcare rather than homework-style after-school supervision.

The school describes a day where gates open at 08:45 and the school day ends at 15:30, while a separate “opening times” page lists 09:00 to 15:30. The most consistent interpretation is that pupils arrive from 08:45 with formal start at 09:00, and finish at 15:30.

Wraparound care is available. The after-school club runs Monday to Thursday from 15:30 to 18:00 and is based at Grassington. Breakfast provision is described as running every day on the school’s main page, and the federation pre-school page specifies breakfast club from 08:00 to 08:45 for pre-school children, with extended day coverage from 07:45. Times can vary by age and provider arrangement, so families should confirm the current offer for Reception and older pupils directly with the school.

Transport realities matter in Upper Wharfedale. The school is in Grassington and many families will drive or use local bus routes. For day-to-day feasibility, focus on winter travel conditions, parking at drop-off, and how wraparound timings fit with work patterns.

• Small cohort volatility. With 57 pupils on roll, year-to-year data can swing quickly. Strong 2024 KS2 outcomes are encouraging, but parents should ask how the school maintains consistency in mixed-age teaching and how it manages staffing continuity.

• Early years precision is a known development area. External evaluation highlights that planning is less specific in some wider early years areas beyond literacy and maths, which can affect vocabulary and concept development. If your child is entering Nursery or Reception, ask how early language and knowledge building is structured.

• SEND support beyond English and maths. Support is described as effective in English and mathematics, with inconsistency flagged across the wider curriculum. If your child needs structured scaffolding across subjects, ask what has changed since the inspection and how plans are implemented day to day.

• Selective secondary options add complexity. Grammar testing is part of the North Yorkshire landscape locally. Families should be clear-eyed about whether they want to pursue selection and, if so, how they will handle the workload and pressure within a small friendship group.

For families who want a small Church of England primary with clear routines, a strong reading culture, and a curriculum model designed to make mixed-age classes work, this is a credible option. The 2024 KS2 picture is above England average on the combined expected standard measure, and the school’s wider offer is unusually tangible for its size, from the allotment and bee-friendly meadow work to named local sports links.

Best suited to children who thrive in a close-knit setting, and to families who value federation collaboration and a visible Christian character in daily school life. The main question to test during visits is how consistently the school delivers early years breadth and SEND support across the whole curriculum, not only in core subjects.