The Skipton Academy

The Skipton Academy has made significant improvements and is now rated as a good school, showing strong progress in various areas. Leadership has successfully raised expectations and ambitions for all students, who demonstrate a commitment to their education. The school has also developed a supportive environment that addresses the needs of all learners, including those with special educational needs. However, there are still challenges related to curriculum development for some subjects, and gaps in learning from previous years that need addressing for older pupils.

Strengths

• Strong progress made by pupils in most subjects.
• Calm behaviour in lessons and around the school.
• High-quality support for students with additional needs.
• Successful integration of mid-year entrants into the school community.
• Effective relationships with parents and improved school reputation.
• Thorough safeguarding procedures in place.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects have gaps in knowledge due to previous curriculums.
• Lack of clear evaluation plans for the new personal development curriculum.

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 The Skipton Academy attended 92.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 6.1% of pupils at The Skipton Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 The Skipton Academy had 18.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 29.3% of pupils at The Skipton Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 7.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 14 pupils.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The Skipton Academy received £8,332 and spent £7,897 for each of its 660 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £585,000 (£886 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Moorlands Learning Trust, income was £5,833 and spending £5,918 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

The Skipton Academy is part of Moorlands Learning Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Eastburn Primary School Keighley
• Ashlands Primary School Ilkley
• Ilkley Grammar School Ilkley
• Ben Rhydding Primary School Ilkley
• Burley Oaks Primary School Ilkley
• Menston Primary School Ilkley
• Nidderdale High School Harrogate
• Benton Park School Leeds
• Talbot Primary School Leeds

What is The Skipton Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Skipton Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was The Skipton Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Skipton Academy was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does The Skipton Academy have?

The Skipton Academy has 736 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Skipton Academy cover?

The Skipton Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Skipton Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.9, and 25% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Skipton Academy?

The Skipton Academy is at Gargrave Road, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1UQ.