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

Ofsted's report card from its 10 February 2026 inspection grades St Stephen's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, A Voluntary Academy on 7 areas: 2 expected standard and 5 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a highly inclusive school culture."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is well designed and sequenced and takes account of contextual issues and local risks."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Over time, pupils have not achieved as well as they should."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Over time, pupils' attendance has been below the national average, and persistent absence has been high."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "There is variability in how well the curriculum is implemented."

Early years - Needs attention. "The curriculum in early years does not set all the knowledge children should learn and by when."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Over time, the school has experienced some changes in staffing."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that staff receive the training they need to teach the curriculum consistently well across all subjects so that more pupils achieve highly and are better prepared for the next stage of their education"; "Leaders should ensure that staff swiftly identify and address gaps in pupils' foundational skills and knowledge, particularly in writing and mathematics, so that pupils can access more complex learning confidently"; "Leaders should further develop their approach to attendance so that pupils attend school more regularly and fewer pupils are persistently absent"; "Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in the early years sets out precisely what children should learn and when so that children are better prepared for the next stage of their education"; "Leaders, including subject leaders and those responsible for governance, should strengthen the way in which they use information from monitoring activities to secure consistent improvement across the school"; "Leaders should build on their positive work within personal development to ensure that pupils develop detailed knowledge of different faiths and the personal, social and health education curriculum".

In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at St Stephen's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, A Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 55% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in North Yorkshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results were similar in 2024 (87% in reading, 52% in maths).

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

For September 2026 entry, 15 families put St Stephen's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, A Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 46 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Stephen's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, A Voluntary Academy are Skipton, Water Street Community Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 74% reading, 74% maths); Christ Church Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles, 86% reading, 86% maths); Skipton Parish Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 76% reading, 76% maths); and Greatwood Community Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 97% reading, 84% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Stephen's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, A Voluntary Academy.

St Stephen's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, A Voluntary Academy is one of 16 schools run by The Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

28 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Stephen's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, A Voluntary Academy (as of April 2026): 96% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 83% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (83%).

48% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (43%) and Asian (33%).

In 2026, 10 pupils (6.8%) received SEN support and 8 (5.4%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Skipton Rail Station, about 520 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).

18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Park Avenue (w-bound), 30 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 115 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in North Yorkshire (9), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, St Stephen's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, A Voluntary Academy issued 6 suspensions, 3.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to St Stephen's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, A Voluntary Academy are Ermysted's Grammar School (0.1 miles), Skipton Girls' High School (0.3 miles) and The Skipton Academy (0.7 miles).