Topcliffe CofE Academy, Thirsk
Topcliffe CofE Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Thirsk, part of Elevate Multi Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 10 schools in Thirsk with published results, and 9,159th of 14,452 across England. It was 89% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Topcliffe CofE Academy in detail
Topcliffe CofE Academy in its own words
In its own words: "We wholeheartedly believe that our core Christian values: compassion, trust, friendship and community, are the key to growing confident learners, with no limits on what they can achieve. We work together in all aspects of community to prepare our children for life in this diverse, exciting and ever-changing, modern world."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Topcliffe CofE Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 73% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in North Yorkshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 82% in reading and 100% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Topcliffe CofE Academy
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put Topcliffe CofE Academy as their first choice and 44 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Topcliffe CofE Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Topcliffe CofE Academy are Alanbrooke Academy (1.6 miles); Dishforth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (2.4 miles, Good, 93% reading, 79% maths); Keeble Gateway Academy (3 miles, Good); and Carlton Miniott Primary Academy (3.1 miles, Good, 88% reading, 76% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Topcliffe CofE Academy.
Alanbrooke AcademyDishforth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolKeeble Gateway AcademyCarlton Miniott Primary Academy
The trust
Topcliffe CofE Academy is one of 18 schools run by Elevate Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
45 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Topcliffe CofE Academy (as of September 2025): 87% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 71% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (71%).
Who goes there
8.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 26 pupils (22.4%) received SEN support and 4 (3.4%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Staffing
Topcliffe CofE Academy had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Topcliffe CofE Academy.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Columba's Church (s-bound), 270 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often other theft and other crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in North Yorkshire (9).
Suspensions and exclusions
Topcliffe CofE Academy 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; DfE school workforce census; 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 October 2011, 15 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 April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Topcliffe creates a warm, caring environment where all pupils flourish and develop deep understanding of their learning. The school excels at supporting pupils with additional needs, with parents highlighting how their children thrive there. Every pupil benefits from exceptional teaching and a rich range of experiences that develop their awareness of the wider world.
Key Strengths
- High-quality, well-designed curriculum with pupils achieving highly across all subjects, including those with SEND
- Highly effective phonics teaching that develops confident, fluent readers
- Exceptional behaviour and conduct, with respect for all tangible throughout the school
- Outstanding wider development programme including visits to different faiths, buddy systems, and clubs like military and British Sign Language
- Skilled early years provision that develops independence and language skills from age two
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with well-trained and vigilant staff ensuring pupils are safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Buddy system between Year 6 and Reception pupils, military club, British Sign Language club, visits to gurdwaras/mosques/synagogues
Topcliffe CofE Academy is an outstanding primary school where pupils are proud, well-mannered and thrive in a caring, inclusive environment. The school has exceptionally high expectations for academic achievement and behaviour, which pupils consistently meet.
At a Glance
8.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
45 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)
Reading has declined from 82% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 100% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 93% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.5
Avg class size
20.5
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
4
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Topcliffe CofE Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Topcliffe CofE Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Topcliffe CofE 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 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 Topcliffe CofE Academy
Will you get a place at Topcliffe CofE Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Topcliffe CofE Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Topcliffe CofE Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Topcliffe CofE 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 Topcliffe CofE Academy for 2018 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
89%
Available places
100 pupils
112 places
12 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Thirsk
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Thirsk
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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
26
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
25.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
116
Total Pupils
61
Boys
55
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
16.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,315
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,154
Per pupil
£689k
Total funding
£17k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.5%
Overall absence
3.3%
Persistent absence
91
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Topcliffe CofE Academy
What are SATs results like at Topcliffe CofE Academy?
Of the pupils at Topcliffe CofE Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is Topcliffe CofE Academy's Ofsted rating?
Topcliffe CofE Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Topcliffe CofE Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Topcliffe CofE 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 Topcliffe CofE Academy?
Topcliffe CofE Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 89% of its 112 places.
How big are the classes at Topcliffe CofE Academy?
Classes at Topcliffe CofE Academy average 24.5 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Topcliffe CofE Academy?
Topcliffe CofE Academy has around 116 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Topcliffe CofE Academy?
2.5% of sessions were missed at Topcliffe CofE Academy in 2024/25. 3.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Topcliffe CofE Academy?
Apply through North Yorkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Topcliffe CofE 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 Topcliffe CofE Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 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 Topcliffe CofE Academy?
Topcliffe CofE Academy is at School Lane, Topcliffe, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 3RG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)