Melsonby Methodist Primary School

Melsonby Methodist Primary School is a small, caring primary school that continues to be good across all inspected areas. Inspectors found high expectations, strong knowledge of individual pupils and quick additional support when pupils fall behind, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils behave very well, feel safe and benefit from a broad range of enrichment and community activity, including its federation with another local school. Reading and mathematics are particular strengths: phonics is well embedded, staff are expert in early reading, and the mathematics curriculum is coherently sequenced. Early years provision is also strong, with effective transition arrangements and early identification of SEND. Safeguarding is effective, and staff feel well supported. The main areas for development concern the curriculum beyond reading and mathematics. A new curriculum has recently been introduced in some subjects, and it is too early to see its impact; pupils are not yet consistently able to connect new learning with what they have learned before. In some subjects, teachers are also not systematic enough in checking what pupils know and using that information to address gaps in prior learning before moving on. Leaders are continuing to monitor these areas.

Strengths

• Caring, close-knit school with high expectations for all pupils
• Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well and receive quick additional support
• Strong reading and phonics provision with expert staff and effective catch-up support
• Well-sequenced mathematics curriculum supported by strong subject knowledge
• Pupils behave very well, show respect and kindness, and feel safe
• Broad personal development and enrichment, including residentials, clubs and Federation Fridays
• Effective early years provision with strong transition arrangements and early SEND identification
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Staff feel well supported, and governors consider workload and well-being
• Strong community and federation links that support continuous improvement

Areas for Improvement

• New curriculum in some subjects is recent and not yet embedded
• Pupils in some subjects cannot yet securely connect current learning with prior learning
• Assessment and checking in some subjects are not systematic enough to identify and address gaps before moving on

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Melsonby Methodist Primary School attended 97.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 0.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Melsonby Methodist Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Melsonby Methodist Primary School had 14.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 31.2% of pupils at Melsonby Methodist Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Melsonby Methodist Primary School received £11,792 and spent £13,110 for each of its 32 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £78,000 (£2,448 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Richmond · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

What is Melsonby Methodist Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Melsonby Methodist Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Melsonby Methodist Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Melsonby Methodist Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Melsonby Methodist Primary School have?

Melsonby Methodist Primary School has 32 pupils on roll.

What age range does Melsonby Methodist Primary School cover?

Melsonby Methodist Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

Where is Melsonby Methodist Primary School?

Melsonby Methodist Primary School is at West Road, Melsonby, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 5ND.