Best Schools in Skipton

How many schools are there in Skipton?

Skipton has 27 open schools: 17 state primary, 4 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent, 1 special and 4 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Skipton are rated Outstanding?

2 schools in Skipton were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Upper Wharfedale School and Otley Street Community Nursery School. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 22 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Upper Wharfedale SchoolOtley Street Community Nursery School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Skipton get the best GCSE results?

Of the 4 schools in Skipton with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Skipton Girls' High School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 67.5 and 87% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Ermysted's Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 64.3 and 84% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Upper Wharfedale School, with an Attainment 8 score of 48.9 and 43% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Skipton Girls' High SchoolErmysted's Grammar SchoolUpper Wharfedale School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Skipton have the best SATs results?

Of the 13 primary schools in Skipton with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Greatwood Community Primary School (97% in reading, 84% in maths); Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School (86% in reading, 86% in maths); and Christ Church Church of England Primary School (86% in reading, 86% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Greatwood Community Primary SchoolBurnsall Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolChrist Church Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Skipton?

Yes. Ermysted's Grammar School and Skipton Girls' High School are state grammar schools in Skipton. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Ermysted's Grammar SchoolSkipton Girls' High School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Skipton have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Skipton have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, North Yorkshire allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Skipton?

Apply to North Yorkshire through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.