School Chooser

Bassenthwaite Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy24 pupilsNurseryKeswickCumberland
School Chooser Score
51
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 19 to 81, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 60% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, June 2026
Attendance97.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families17%Far fewer than most schools
Places25 spare24 pupils, 49 places
Pupils per teacher8.0School workforce census
Pupils on roll24Census January 2026

Bassenthwaite Primary School is a converter academy in Keswick for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 24 pupils and room for 49. About 17 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 51 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 60% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in June 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Bassenthwaite, Keswick, CA12 4QH01768 776365bassenthwaite.cumbria.sch.ukMrs Leanne Day headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 2 June 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”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Early years
As expected
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
22 April 2022UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

4 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 11Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected levelOfficial name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading scoreOfficial name: Reading average scaled score
Maths scoreOfficial name: Maths average scaled score
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018†2017†CumberlandEngland
Pupils tested454865
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths100%50%56%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths13%0%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0107.0104.7105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0101.0103.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0109.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard100%83%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard100%50%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)100%83%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.9
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.5

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.

† These results are for Bassenthwaite Primary School, the school this one replaced in January 2018. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places20 pupils for 49 places, 2024/25
41% full

29 places were empty (59% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 35% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

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 Cumberland 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 roll24Census January 2026
Places4949% full
Pupils from low-income families17%17% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support4%1 pupil with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size5.52 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)15%£4,650 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls10 / 14
White British pupils92%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Severe learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll242333313730
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals17%13%9%13%5%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support9%9%7%5%7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%3%3%3%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 97.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance97.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school0.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.0%4.4%3.9%6.0%1.7%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.6%3.5%3.0%4.6%1.5%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.5%1.0%0.9%1.5%0.2%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence0.0%19.2%13.0%16.1%0.0%3.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.09.10.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers3.0full-time equivalent, 3 people
Pupils per teacher8.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants1.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,490
Teachers who left in the year40%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.02021/22

Money

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

Spend per pupil£17,043England £7,128. Total £392k
Income per pupil£17,522England £7,587. Total £403k
Spent on teachers per pupil£10,130England £3,405
Money in reserve26%A lot put by: £103k, £4,478 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£11kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£17,043spent 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 m1612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate29 per 1,000 people68% lower than the England average

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
Ireby CofE SchoolChurch of England4.4 miles38Good 202466Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Bassenthwaite Primary School with the 42 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 42 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats60%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 51 is 12 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 39 · highest 89100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 42 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Bassenthwaite 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
Ireby CofE SchoolChurch of England4.4 miles38Good 202466Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 51 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 51% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 19 to 81. 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%below
-0.17
Ofsted report card, 0.3 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.18
2024/25; 19 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 Bassenthwaite Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Bassenthwaite Primary School scores 51 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 60% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 19 to 81, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Bassenthwaite Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 2 June 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.

How many pupils does Bassenthwaite Primary School have?

24 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 49 places, so it is 49% full.

Is Bassenthwaite Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 29 places were empty in 2024/25 (59% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Bassenthwaite Primary School?

Pupils were in school 97.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 0% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Bassenthwaite Primary School?

The average class had 5.5 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
Bassenthwaite, Keswick, CA12 4QH
Telephone
01768 776365
Website
www.bassenthwaite.cumbria.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Leanne Day
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Keswick School Multi Academy Trust (2 schools)
Local authority
Cumberland
Ward
Bothel and Wharrels
Constituency
Penrith and Solway
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 January 2018 (academy converter)
URN
145326 · LAESTAB 9422100 · UKPRN 10066349
Formerly
Bassenthwaite Primary School

Where these figures come from