Middleham Church of England Aided School

Middleham Church of England Aided School has made notable progress since its previous inspection, moving from an 'Requires Improvement' rating to 'Good' overall. The school's leadership demonstrates a strong commitment to improvement, and recent changes to its curriculum have resulted in better pupil achievements. The partnership with Spennithorne Church of England Primary School creates a nurturing and collaborative environment for students, promoting effective learning and personal development. Students display enthusiasm for learning, particularly in reading and mathematics, where they receive substantial support. Efforts to address special educational needs are commendable, with staff trained to ensure inclusivity in the curriculum. Although the school excels in many areas, there are still opportunities for growth, particularly in monitoring curriculum implementation and ensuring that students retain essential knowledge for future learning.

Strengths

• Strong leadership and governance that foster high expectations for pupils
• Effective collaboration with partner school enhances student learning experiences
• Pupils show enthusiasm and commitment to their education
• Well-planned activities in early years support children's learning and language development
• Ambitious and well-sequenced mathematics curriculum improves staff knowledge
• Pupils demonstrate empathy and respect through a well-structured personal development curriculum
• Active engagement in clubs and leadership roles provides pupils with a range of opportunities

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent systems for assessing pupils' prior knowledge
• Occasional lack of emphasis on key knowledge in lesson planning

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 Middleham Church of England Aided School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.7% 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, 2.0% of pupils at Middleham Church of England Aided 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 Middleham Church of England Aided School had 12.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 17.0% of pupils at Middleham Church of England Aided School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 12.8% 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 Middleham Church of England Aided School received £4,878 and spent £4,759 for each of its 202 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £118,000 (£585 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). This school files a single return with the other schools in its federation, so the figures are for the whole federation.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

What is Middleham Church of England Aided School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Middleham Church of England Aided School is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Middleham Church of England Aided School last inspected by Ofsted?

Middleham Church of England Aided School was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Middleham Church of England Aided School have?

Middleham Church of England Aided School has 47 pupils on roll.

What age range does Middleham Church of England Aided School cover?

Middleham Church of England Aided School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Middleham Church of England Aided School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Middleham Church of England Aided School?

Middleham Church of England Aided School is at Park Lane, Middleham, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 4QX.