Cowling Community Primary School, Keighley
Cowling Community Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Keighley. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 16th-highest of the 32 schools in Keighley with published results, and 7,614th of 14,452 across England. It was 96% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to North Yorkshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Cowling Community Primary School in detail
Cowling Community Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Cowling Community Primary School is an exciting place to learn for children between the ages of four to eleven. We are a village school situated on the edge of the Dales close to the Yorkshire-Lancashire border. There are currently 139 pupils on role at the school and it is controlled and funded by the Local Education Authority."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Cowling Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 74% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in North Yorkshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 62% in reading and 62% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Cowling Community Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 9 families put Cowling Community Primary School as their first choice and 25 named it as one of their preferences, for 8 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Cowling Community Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Cowling Community Primary School are Lothersdale Primary School (2 miles, Outstanding, 75% reading, 94% maths); Glusburn Community Primary School (2.4 miles, Good, 77% reading, 75% maths); Sutton-in-Craven Community Primary School (2.5 miles, Good, 75% reading, 56% maths); and Sutton CofE Primary and Nursery School (2.5 miles, 81% reading, 69% maths).
Cowling Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Lothersdale Primary SchoolGlusburn Community Primary SchoolSutton-in-Craven Community Primary SchoolSutton CofE Primary and Nursery School
What parents say
28 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Cowling Community Primary School (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (82%).
Who goes there
13.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Cononley Rail Station, about 2.8 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church View (ne-bound), 230 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Cowling Community Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a warm, welcoming school where pupils genuinely enjoy learning and feel proud to attend. Teachers make lessons engaging and fun, with a carefully planned curriculum that helps children see how different subjects connect. The school has high expectations for behaviour and character development, helping all pupils - including those with additional needs - to thrive and shine.
Key Strengths
- Thoughtfully designed curriculum with meaningful connections between topics that brings learning to life
- Expert phonics teaching with children reading at great pace from Reception onwards
- Warm, caring relationships between staff and pupils with excellent behaviour and conduct
- Strong support for pupils with SEND through well-considered, inclusive approaches
- Wide range of enrichment experiences including sports, clubs, and community involvement
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment methods in foundation subjects (like history, geography, art) need refining so teachers can better check what pupils know and adjust teaching accordingly
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders demonstrating commitment to pupils' interests and wellbeing.
Extracurricular Activities
Chess, cooking, sports, play leaders, reading ambassadors, well-being ambassadors, school councillors, breakfast club, after-school club
Cowling Community Primary School has maintained its good standards since the previous inspection. Pupils are happy, safe, and love learning in this friendly, welcoming school.
At a Glance
13.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
28 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 62% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 62% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 68% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.5
Avg class size
30.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Cowling Community Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cowling Community Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cowling Community Primary School is in North Yorkshire; for families living there:
Apply to North Yorkshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in North Yorkshire is 3 (the median across 382 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Cowling Community Primary School
Will you get a place at Cowling Community Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Cowling Community Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Cowling Community Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Cowling Community Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from North Yorkshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Cowling Community Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in North Yorkshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
96%
Near capacity
128 pupils
133 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Keighley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Keighley
Across North Yorkshire council
Places available
7,127
Applications
5,052
Got 1st preference
95.6%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All primary applications across North Yorkshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
13
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
14.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
118
Total Pupils
72
Boys
46
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
16.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,188
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,785
Per pupil
£797k
Total funding
£18k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
10.7%
Persistent absence
112
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Cowling Community Primary School
What are SATs results like at Cowling Community Primary School?
Of the pupils at Cowling Community Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is Cowling Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Cowling Community Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Cowling Community Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Cowling Community Primary School is oversubscribed, North Yorkshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Cowling Community Primary School?
Cowling Community Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Cowling Community Primary School?
Classes at Cowling Community Primary School average 29.5 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Cowling Community Primary School?
Cowling Community Primary School has around 118 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Cowling Community Primary School?
4.6% of sessions were missed at Cowling Community Primary School in 2024/25. 10.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cowling Community Primary School?
Apply through North Yorkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Cowling Community Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Cowling Community Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in North Yorkshire is 3 (the median across 382 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cowling Community Primary School?
Cowling Community Primary School is at Gill Lane, Cowling, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD22 0DF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)