Wharfedale Montessori School, Skipton
Wharfedale Montessori School is an independent school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Skipton. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Wharfedale Montessori School in detail
Wharfedale Montessori School in its own words
In its own words: "Located on the beautiful Bolton Abbey Estate in North Yorkshire, Wharfedale Montessori Preschool and Primary provides a nurturing and individualised education. The location, Strid Wood, is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)., and we make great use of our beautiful location."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
What parents say
31 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Wharfedale Montessori School (as of September 2025): 71% would recommend the school, 71% say their child is happy there and 17% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (74%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (17%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 7 pupils (25%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Bolton Abbey (Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway), about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tower (opposite), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in North Yorkshire (9).
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 6 (information for parents) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyNot met
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsNot met
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementNot met
Progress-monitoring inspection, 6 November 2025: The school did not meet all the standards Ofsted checked.
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school has made significant improvements to how it keeps children safe, with a clear online system for recording concerns and robust recruitment procedures. Staff are well-trained in safeguarding and the school works with external agencies when needed to support pupils and families. Leaders and the proprietor are passionate about the school and demonstrate strong commitment to maintaining high standards.
Key Strengths
- Leaders have significantly strengthened safeguarding arrangements with new recording systems and procedures
- Staff receive pertinent safeguarding training with multiple designated safeguarding leads available
- The admissions register now fully complies with statutory requirements
- Recruitment procedures have been revised and tightened to follow safer recruitment guidelines
- Leaders demonstrate passion for the school's ethos and are committed to continuous improvement
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is now effective - the school has implemented suitable systems for recording concerns, completed all required staff checks including for a director living on premises, and staff receive pertinent training to keep pupils safe.
Wharfedale Montessori School is a small independent school for ages 2-11 following the Montessori curriculum. This progress monitoring inspection found the school now meets all independent school standards after previously failing to meet them.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
31 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Keep up with Wharfedale Montessori School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
58%
Available places
28 pupils
48 places
20 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Skipton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Skipton
Across North Yorkshire council
Places available
7,086
Applications
5,586
Got 1st preference
91.9%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All secondary applications across North Yorkshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
Independent school Progress Monitoring inspection
Outcome: the school did not meet all the standards Ofsted checked.
Independent School standard inspection
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 6 (information for parents) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
25.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
28
Total Pupils
18
Boys
10
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about Wharfedale Montessori School
What is Wharfedale Montessori School's Ofsted rating?
Wharfedale Montessori School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2025, it was rated Requires Improvement.
Does Wharfedale Montessori School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in March 2025, Wharfedale Montessori School did not meet the independent school standards in Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 6 (information for parents) and Part 8 (leadership and management). At a later progress-monitoring inspection in November 2025, the school did not meet all the standards Ofsted checked.
How many pupils go to Wharfedale Montessori School?
Wharfedale Montessori School has around 28 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Wharfedale Montessori School?
Wharfedale Montessori School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Wharfedale Montessori School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 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 Wharfedale Montessori School?
Wharfedale Montessori School is at Bolton Abbey, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 6AN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)