St Stephen's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, A Voluntary Academy, Skipton

Good
Primary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~594m)Possible (~848m)Unlikely (~1.1km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Jo Sykes
Pupils:148 / 218 capacity
LA:North Yorkshire
Phone:01756709451
Address:Gargrave Road, Skipton, BD23 1PJ
Trust:THE BISHOP WHEELER CATHOLIC ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 August 2015

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:142023
UKPRN:10049606
Diocese:Diocese of Leeds (rc)
Constituency:Skipton and Ripon
Urban/Rural:Urban: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This is a caring, family-like school where pupils feel safe and supported. Staff build strong relationships with families and know pupils well, allowing them to quickly spot barriers to learning and provide tailored help. The school creates an inclusive environment where all pupils are encouraged to participate in clubs, trips, and outdoor activities that build confidence and broaden their experiences.

Key Strengths

  • Strong safeguarding culture with all legal requirements met and pupils feeling safe
  • Highly inclusive environment with good support for pupils with SEND and those learning English as an additional language
  • Calm, respectful behaviour with clear expectations and rare bullying incidents
  • Consistent phonics teaching helping pupils become fluent readers
  • Caring school culture where parents feel their children are well looked after

Areas for Improvement

  • Consistently low phonics results in Year 1 and gaps in writing and mathematics achievement
  • Persistent below-average attendance with too many pupils missing regular schooling
  • Variability in curriculum delivery and inconsistent teacher expectations across subjects
  • Early years curriculum lacks clarity about what children should learn and when
  • Staff not identifying and addressing basic errors and misconceptions in a timely manner

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have created an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed.

Extracurricular Activities

Swimming lessons for Years 3-6, outdoor adventurous activities, school trips, variety of clubs including some run at pupils' request, community and charitable events, assemblies

St Stephen's Catholic Primary School and Nursery is a Voluntary Academy in Skipton that provides a calm, nurturing environment with strong safeguarding and inclusive practices. However, the school faces challenges with pupil achievement, attendance, and curriculum consistency that leaders are working to address.

At a Glance

18.2%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-7ppMaths+3ppWriting+12pp

Reading has declined from 87% to 80%. Maths has remained stable at around 55%. Writing has improved from 48% to 60%.

Class Sizes

21.4

Avg class size

18.0

Infant (KS1)

30.0

KS2

7

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Skipton Rail Station
520m · 8 min walk

Bus Stops

Park Avenue (W-bound)
31m · 1 min walk
Castle View Terrace (opp)
227m · 4 min walk
Raikeswood (SE-bound)
252m · 4 min walk
Market Place (N-bound)
288m · 5 min walk
Belle Vue Mills (E-bound)
350m · 6 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

68%

Available places

148 pupils

218 capacity

70 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Skipton

Low pressure
New homes approved:704
Projected new pupils:176

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Skipton

Admissions Demand - North Yorkshire

Low demand0.69x oversubscription

Places available

7,282

Applications

5,050

Got 1st preference

94.4%

Got preferred school

98.7%

Primary admissions across North Yorkshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(8)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

Sign up free to see teacher and staff data

School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

Sign up free to see how this school is funded

Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.93791%

Overall absence

17.14286%

Persistent absence

140

Enrolments

Authorised4.1203%
Unauthorised1.81761%
Persistent (10%+)17.14286%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

4.76743%
18/19
5.83985%
20/21
7.67553%
21/22
6.02102%
22/23
6.95911%
23/24
5.93791%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Secondary Schools Nearby

Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.