School Chooser

Thornton in Craven Community Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil91 pupilsNurseryNorth Yorkshire
School Chooser Score
78
Above
similar schools
Likely range 49 to 92, so it could be “well above”
Out of 100. Better than 71% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, November 2023
Reached the expected level at 1185%England 63%
Attendance96.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families2%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull91 pupils, 77 places
Pupils per teacher14.4School workforce census

Thornton in Craven Community Primary School is a council school in Thornton-in-Craven for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 91 pupils, 14 more than it has places for. About 2 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 78 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 71% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Cam Lane, Thornton-in-Craven, BD23 3SX01282 843381thorntonincravenprimary.org.ukMiss Suzie Brown headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 29 November 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

13 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 1185%
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 score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 92%92%20172018: 44%44%20182019: 64%64%20192023: 67%67%20232024: 73%73%20242025: 85%85%2025
Since 2017: -7%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017North YorkshireEngland
Pupils tested1311911913
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths85%73%67%64%44%92%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%9%11%18%0%23%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0108.0110.0105.0102.0108.0105.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0104.0107.0106.0101.0106.0104.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0104.0105.0108.0101.0108.0104.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard85%82%89%64%56%92%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard92%82%78%91%56%100%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)85%73%89%82%78%92%
Reading progressReading progress score+5.0-3.3-4.7-1.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+3.0-2.5-6.4-2.8

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.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
71%100%
Gap 29 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Full86 pupils for 77 places, 2024/25
112% full

The school is full, with 9 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have grown by 6% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

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 roll91Census January 2026
Places77118% full
Pupils from low-income families2%2% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support15%14 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%2 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.84 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)3%£3,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls47 / 44
White British pupils96%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 24.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), emotional and mental health (3), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (2), Moderate learning difficulty (1), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll9194100959688
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals2%4%5%5%4%8%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support14%14%7%7%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%1%1%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school2.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.4%3.4%3.5%6.0%2.3%2.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.4%2.6%2.6%5.1%1.7%1.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%0.8%1.0%0.9%0.6%0.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence2.7%0.0%5.6%13.9%2.9%0.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.01.02.3
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers6.0full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher14.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,316
Teachers who left in the year20%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher11.32023/24

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£7,830England £7,738. Total £736k
Income per pupil£8,219England £7,697. Total £773k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,674England £3,480
Money in reserve20%A lot put by: £156k, £1,661 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£37kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,830spent 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 m412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate31 per 1,000 people66% lower than the England average
Nearest bus stop110 mThornton Post Office, 4 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
Earby Springfield Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles126Requires improvement 202428Compare
Coates Lane Primary SchoolCouncil1.6 miles157No overall grade 202514Compare
St Joseph's Catholic primary School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy2.1 miles119Good 202348Compare
Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary SchoolChurch of England2.1 miles342Good 202246Compare
Gisburn Road Community Primary SchoolCouncil2.2 miles204No overall grade 202574Compare
Salterforth Primary SchoolCouncil2.2 miles102Good 202337Compare
Kelbrook Primary SchoolCouncil2.6 miles96Good 202268Compare
Lothersdale Primary SchoolAcademy3.3 miles100No overall grade 202592Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Thornton in Craven Community Primary School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats71%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 78 is 7 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 6 · middle 72 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Thornton in Craven Community Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Lothersdale Primary SchoolAcademy3.3 miles100No overall grade 202592Compare
Blacko Primary SchoolAcademy5.4 miles103Good 202286Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 78 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 78% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 49 to 92. 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 years25%above
+0.09
2025 and 2024 results; 13 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.8 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.07
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 13 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.04
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.13
2024/25; 75 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 13 pupils
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 Thornton in Craven Community Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Thornton in Craven Community Primary School scores 78 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 71% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 49 to 92, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Thornton in Craven Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Thornton in Craven Community Primary School good at its last full inspection on 29 November 2023.

How good are Thornton in Craven Community Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 85% 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 Thornton in Craven Community Primary School have?

91 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 77 places, so it is 118% full.

Is Thornton in Craven Community Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 9 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Thornton in Craven Community Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 3% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Thornton in Craven Community Primary School?

The average class had 22.8 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
Cam Lane, Thornton-in-Craven, BD23 3SX
Telephone
01282 843381
Website
www.thorntonincravenprimary.org.uk
Headteacher
Miss Suzie Brown
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
North Yorkshire
Ward
Skipton West & West Craven
Constituency
Skipton and Ripon
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
121421 · LAESTAB 8152360 · UKPRN 10074835

Where these figures come from