Meadowside Academy, Knaresborough
Meadowside Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Knaresborough, part of Elevate Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 7 schools in Knaresborough with published results, and 7,071st of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.2 first-choice applications for every place. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- 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
Meadowside Academy in detail
Meadowside Academy in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care, from £11.50 per session.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at Meadowside Academy 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 58% in reading and 58% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Meadowside Academy
For September 2026 entry, 36 families put Meadowside Academy as their first choice and 102 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 6 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Meadowside Academy are Knaresborough St John's Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 80% reading, 78% maths); St Mary's Primary School Knaresborough, A Voluntary Catholic Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 84% reading, 74% maths); Aspin Park Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 75% reading, 77% maths); and Goldsborough Church of England Primary School (1.8 miles, Good, 69% reading, 63% maths).
Meadowside Academy's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Knaresborough St John's Church of England Primary SchoolSt Mary's Primary School Knaresborough, A Voluntary Catholic AcademyAspin Park AcademyGoldsborough Church of England Primary School
The trust
Meadowside Academy is one of 18 schools run by Elevate Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
6.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 48 pupils (23.3%) received SEN support and 12 (5.8%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Knaresborough Rail Station, about 1080 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Carmires Avenue (nw-bound), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Meadowside Academy stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 8th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 57 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in North Yorkshire (9), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Meadowside Academy issued 8 suspensions, 3.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Meadowside Academy welcomes pupils with care and compassion. Pupils understand and accept others' differences. Staff are extremely supportive and have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and achievement. Children in the Reception Year make a strong start to their education in an exciting, well-planned and nurturing environment. Staff, pupils and parents are proud to be part of the school community. They work together to make it a great place to learn.
There are excellent relationships between pupils and staff. Because of this, pupils are happy and know that staff will always help them do their best. School values, such as resilience and resourcefulness, are well understood by pupils and modelled by adults. The school encourages pupils of all ages to work hard, be kind and respect others. Opportunities for pupils to learn about different faiths, cultures and beliefs help to create a kind and caring atmosphere at the school.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has changed the content of the curriculum and the order in which it is taught to reflect the needs and interests of pupils well. This has resulted in a carefully planned and ambitious curriculum. The curriculum, particularly in some foundation subjects, is new. Where this is the case, pupils' knowledge of what they have been taught over time is less secure. However, in other subjects, pupils remember learning about a wide range of topics and perform well in external assessments.
Staff use questioning effectively. They listen to what pupils have to say and promote discussion in classrooms well. This helps staff to identify what pupils have, and have not, understood. This is especially effective in the early years setting. However, the way in which older pupil's knowledge and understanding is assessed over longer periods of time is less secure, notably in the foundation subjects. The school are still developing a robust assessment process in this regard.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
29.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 58% to 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 58% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 65% to 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.4
Avg class size
28.3
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
7
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Meadowside Academy
Newsletter 22nd May 2026
1 Jun 2026
Newsletter 15th April 2026
18 May 2026
Newsletter 8th May 2026
11 May 2026
Newsletter 17th April 2026
6 May 2026
Newsletter 1st May 2026
6 May 2026
Newsletter 24th April 2026
24 Apr 2026
From Meadowside Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Meadowside Academy
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Meadowside Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Meadowside Academy 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 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 Meadowside Academy
Will you get a place at Meadowside Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Meadowside Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Meadowside Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Meadowside Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from North Yorkshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Meadowside Academy for 2017 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
98%
Near capacity
205 pupils
210 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Knaresborough
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Knaresborough
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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
48
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
29.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
206
Total Pupils
101
Boys
105
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
18.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,068
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,318
Per pupil
£1247k
Total funding
£80k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.8%
Overall absence
15.7%
Persistent absence
178
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Meadowside Academy
Questions parents ask about Meadowside Academy
What are SATs results like at Meadowside Academy?
Of the pupils at Meadowside Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is Meadowside Academy's Ofsted rating?
Meadowside Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2012 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Meadowside Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Meadowside Academy 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 Meadowside Academy?
Meadowside Academy was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Meadowside Academy?
Classes at Meadowside Academy average 29.4 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 Meadowside Academy?
Meadowside Academy has around 206 pupils on roll. 29% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Meadowside Academy?
5.8% of sessions were missed at Meadowside Academy in 2024/25. 15.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Meadowside Academy?
Apply through North Yorkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Meadowside Academy 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 Meadowside Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 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 Meadowside Academy?
Meadowside Academy is at Halfpenny Lane, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, HG5 0SL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)