Gargrave Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Skipton

Ofsted's report card from its 24 March 2026 inspection grades Gargrave Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils achieve well in the school."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils generally attend school well."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have made significant progress since the last inspection in embedding a suitably ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders have recently expanded their early years provision to include a nursery."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders are proactive in ensuring that pupils' needs are met."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders at Gargrave have a clear vision to ensure that pupils who attend get the very best education."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that pupils are well prepared for their next steps by equipping them with the knowledge to engage effectively in modern Britain."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders, including governors, should continue to strengthen their oversight and promotion of school attendance to ensure that pupils attend consistently well"; "Leaders should strengthen pupils' achievement in writing by ensuring that teaching consistently secures and deepens pupils' knowledge by the end of key stage 2"; "Leaders should ensure that children in the early years benefit from consistently high-quality interactions with adults so that the opportunities they get to practise and learn new vocabulary are maximised".

In 2025, 91% of Year 6 pupils at Gargrave Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 91% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in North Yorkshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 100% in reading and 92% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 13 families put Gargrave Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 23 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Gargrave Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School are Gargrave Church of England Primary School (under 0.1 miles); Thornton in Craven Community Primary School (3.7 miles, Good, 85% reading, 92% maths); St Stephen's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, A Voluntary Academy (3.9 miles, Good, 80% reading, 55% maths); and Carleton Endowed CofE Primary School (3.9 miles, 59% reading, 55% maths).

Gargrave Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.

21 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Gargrave Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (as of April 2026): 81% would recommend the school, 81% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (86%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).

5.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 9 pupils (9.6%) received SEN support and 3 (3.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

The nearest railway station is Gargrave Rail Station, about 700 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is West Street (adjacent), 290 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in North Yorkshire (9).

In 2024/25, Gargrave Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School issued 6 suspensions, 6.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.