Tarves School, ABERDEENSHIRE
Tarves School is a primary school for pupils in Aberdeenshire.
- Attendance
- 94.5%
Data last updated 25 Oct 2026
Tarves School in detail
School in Scotland
Tarves School is a local authority school in Scotland. Scottish schools are inspected by Education Scotland rather than Ofsted, and Scotland does not publish school-by-school exam league tables.
Tarves School has a pre-school (nursery) class.
In the 2025 pupil census it had 175 pupils, an average class size of 25 and 17.3 pupils per teacher.
35% of pupils have an additional support need recorded.
Attendance was 94.5% in 2024/25, and 10.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
The 2026 school estate survey rated its buildings' condition as satisfactory (B) and their suitability for teaching as good (A); the school was 81% full.
Tarves School in its own words
In its own words: "Tarves School is situated in the village of Tarves, seven miles from Ellon and eighteen miles from Aberdeen. The catchment area includes the village of Tarves and the surrounding rural area. We are part of the Meldrum Schools Cluster and our children transfer to Meldrum Academy for their secondary education."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Tarves School are Pitmedden School (2.8 miles), Udny Green School (3.1 miles), Barthol Chapel School (3.6 miles) and Methlick School (3.8 miles).
Pitmedden SchoolUdny Green SchoolBarthol Chapel SchoolMethlick School
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Tarves School.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Braiklay Avenue (opposite), 20 metres away.
Sources: Scottish Government school statistics: pupil census, attendance and absence, school estate, leaver destinations (OGL); NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
Scottish GovernmentInspection
Schools in Scotland are inspected by Education Scotland, not Ofsted. Find Tarves School's reports on the inspectorate's website.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Keep up with Tarves School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Aberdeenshire is 0 (the median across 163 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
Questions parents ask about Tarves School
What is the catchment area for Tarves School?
Scottish schools have catchment (zoned) areas, and Tarves School is no exception: children living in its zone are normally given a place there automatically. Families who want a different school make a placing request to Aberdeenshire. Aberdeenshire publishes the zone boundary.
How do I apply to Tarves School?
If you live in Tarves School's catchment zone your child is normally allocated a place automatically, and Aberdeenshire will write to you. To ask for a place here from outside the zone, make a placing request to Aberdeenshire - requests usually open in November and close in mid-March for the following August.
How many road collisions happen near Tarves School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Aberdeenshire is 0 (the median across 163 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Tarves School?
Tarves School is at Duthie Road, Tarves Ellon, ABERDEENSHIRE, ABERDEENSHIRE, AB41 7JX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)