Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Whitby
Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Whitby. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 11 schools in Whitby with published results, and 4,333rd of 14,452 across England. It was 65% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to North Yorkshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in detail
Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "This is an important piece of pupil leadership and consists of a group of children, staff, governors and parents who work to keep our school vision and values under review and take a lead on how we live these out in our daily school life."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in North Yorkshire and 77% and 75% across England.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 15 families put Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 28 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School are Stakesby Primary Academy (3.1 miles, Good, 81% reading, 81% maths); West Cliff Primary School (3.3 miles, Good, 74% reading, 71% maths); Ruswarp Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (3.7 miles, Requires improvement, 56% reading, 44% maths); and Airy Hill Primary School (3.7 miles, Good, 85% reading, 90% maths).
Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Stakesby Primary AcademyWest Cliff Primary SchoolRuswarp Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolAiry Hill Primary School
What parents say
38 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (as of September 2025): 92% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 83% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (83%).
Who goes there
7.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 6 pupils (7.6%) received SEN support and 2 (2.5%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sleights Rail Station, about 3.4 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Red Lion (sw-bound), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often public order offences and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in North Yorkshire (9).
Suspensions and exclusions
Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Lythe is a warm, nurturing place where children thrive and feel a genuine sense of belonging. The school makes brilliant use of its coastal location through forest and beach school activities that children love, while providing ambitious teaching across all subjects. Staff really know and understand each child, including those with additional needs, and adapt support carefully without lowering what they expect children to achieve.
Key Strengths
- Forest and beach school activities that children love, with excellent use of coastal surroundings for outdoor learning
- Strong support for pupils with SEND, with well-trained staff who adapt learning without lowering expectations
- Children learn to read quickly and fluently, with early reading prioritised from Reception and small-group interventions for those needing extra help
- Excellent early years provision that is engaging, inclusive, and gives children a confident start to school
- Good behaviour and positive relationships between pupils, staff and families, creating a respectful environment
Areas for Improvement
- Some curriculum improvements still in early stages - further work needed on consistency in identifying and addressing gaps in pupils' knowledge across subjects
- Some older pupils lack opportunities to practise a range of reading skills, affecting their reading comprehension and confidence
- Monitoring systems need to be further embedded to sustain recent curriculum improvements following rapid changes
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Art competitions, diverse landmark visits, wide array of extra-curricular clubs, forest school, beach school
Lythe Church of England Primary School is a close-knit and nurturing school where pupils flourish with strong relationships and a culture of respect and kindness. The school has developed an ambitious curriculum and provides excellent outdoor learning opportunities in its coastal setting.
At a Glance
7.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
38 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)
2024/25 academic year
Class Sizes
18.0
Avg class size
16.0
Infant (KS1)
20.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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
- 1
- 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, 1 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 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 Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Will you get a place at Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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
65%
Available places
68 pupils
105 places
37 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Whitby
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Whitby
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
6
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
10.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
79
Total Pupils
45
Boys
34
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
3
Teachers
26.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,107
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,918
Per pupil
£529k
Total funding
£11k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
4.9%
Persistent absence
61
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
What are SATs results like at Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Of the pupils at Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 65% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Classes at Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School average 18 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has around 79 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in 2024/25. 4.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Apply through North Yorkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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, 1 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 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 Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Lythe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at High Street, Lythe, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 3RT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)