School Chooser

Danby Church of England Voluntary Aided School

Primary · ages 5-11MixedChurch of England44 pupilsWhitbyNorth Yorkshire
School Chooser Score
88
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 70 to 96, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 93% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedStrong teachingOfsted report card, May 2026
Reached the expected level at 1157%England 63%
Attendance95.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families11%Far fewer than most schools
Places26 spare44 pupils, 70 places
Pupils per teacher22.0School workforce census

Danby Church of England Voluntary Aided School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Whitby for boys and girls aged 5 to 11. It has 44 pupils and room for 70. About 11 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 88 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 93% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in May 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Ainthorpe Lane, Danby, Whitby, YO21 2NG01287 660345danbyceprimary.co.ukMrs Elisabeth Orland headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 6 May 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
Strong
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
Strong
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
Strong
Early years
Strong
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
19 January 2022Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

7 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1157%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score100.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2018 to 2025
2018: 63%63%20182019: 88%88%20192025: 57%57%2025
Since 2018: -6%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017North YorkshireEngland
Pupils tested742883
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths57%88%63%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0103.0103.0105.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score100.0102.0101.0104.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0101.0103.0104.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard86%88%88%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard57%100%63%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)86%100%88%
Reading progressReading progress score-5.7-1.9
Maths progressMaths progress score-5.6-4.0

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places47 pupils for 70 places, 2024/25
67% full

23 places were empty (33% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 74% since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to North Yorkshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll44Census January 2026
Places7063% full
Pupils from low-income families11%11% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support16%7 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan0%0 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.02 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)11%£7,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls20 / 24
White British pupils100%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Moderate learning difficulty (1), language and communications needs (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll444646413128
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals11%11%4%5%13%11%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%2%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%11%5%10%21%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%0%0%3%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school12.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.4%5.2%7.8%6.7%5.1%4.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.7%4.2%7.0%5.7%3.9%3.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%1.0%0.8%0.9%1.2%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence12.2%15.4%23.7%21.4%26.1%9.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers2.0full-time equivalent, 2 people
Pupils per teacher22.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.4full-time equivalent
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£10,143England £7,738. Total £882k
Income per pupil£9,738England £7,697. Total £847k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,458England £3,480
Money in reserve13%A healthy amount put by: £112k, £1,286 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£35kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£10,143spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m112 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate41 per 1,000 people55% lower than the England average
Nearest bus stop390 mAinthorpe Lane, 2 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Castleton Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles46No overall grade 202464Compare
Lealholm Primary SchoolAcademy3.8 miles41Good 202274Compare
Glaisdale Primary SchoolAcademy4.8 miles28No overall grade 202497Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Danby Church of England Voluntary Aided School with the 40 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 40 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats93%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 88 is 46 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 4 · middle 42 · highest 100100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 88 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 88% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 70 to 96. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.35
Ofsted report card, 0.4 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.23
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.04
2024/25; 41 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Danby Church of England Voluntary Aided School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Danby Church of England Voluntary Aided School scores 88 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 93% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 70 to 96, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

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

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 6 May 2026 it rated teaching as strong, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as strong.

How good are Danby Church of England Voluntary Aided School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 57% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Danby Church of England Voluntary Aided School have?

44 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 70 places, so it is 63% full.

Is Danby Church of England Voluntary Aided School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 23 places were empty in 2024/25 (33% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Danby Church of England Voluntary Aided School?

Pupils were in school 95.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 12% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Danby Church of England Voluntary Aided School?

The average class had 22.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Ainthorpe Lane, Danby, Whitby, YO21 2NG
Telephone
01287 660345
Website
www.danbyceprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Elisabeth Orland
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of York
Local authority
North Yorkshire
Ward
Danby & Mulgrave
Constituency
Scarborough and Whitby
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
121486 · LAESTAB 8153025 · UKPRN 10080623

Where these figures come from