School Chooser

Braithwaite CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyChurch of England40 pupilsNurseryKeswickCumberland
School Chooser Score
10
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 3 to 39, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 13% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, February 2024
Reached the expected level at 1136%England 63%
Attendance94.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
Places58 spare40 pupils, 98 places
Pupils per teacher12.8School workforce census

Braithwaite CofE Primary School is a converter academy in Keswick for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 40 pupils and room for 98. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 10 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 13% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Braithwaite, Keswick, CA12 5TD01768 778356braithwaite.cumbria.sch.ukMrs Jo Laker headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 28 February 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

11 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 1136%
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 score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 67%67%20172018: 53%53%20182019: 80%80%20192023: 50%50%20232025: 36%36%2025
Since 2017: -31%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017CumberlandEngland
Pupils tested113610159
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths36%50%80%53%67%56%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%17%0%7%0%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0108.0107.0105.0110.0104.7105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0104.0103.0103.0107.0103.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0109.0108.0101.0107.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard73%100%90%80%78%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard73%67%80%73%100%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)55%67%90%60%78%
Reading progressReading progress score+5.0+0.3+5.1+4.5
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.6-3.6+3.6+1.2

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 places38 pupils for 98 places, 2024/25
39% full

60 places were empty (61% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 31% 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 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 roll40Census January 2026
Places9841% full
Pupils from low-income families8%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English5%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support8%3 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan8%3 pupils with a plan
Average class size9.04 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)12%£6,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls19 / 21
White British pupils88%

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

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll404435342941
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals8%11%9%12%14%10%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language5%0%0%3%3%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support7%9%15%10%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans11%11%12%10%5%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school10.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils15.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.0%3.9%4.0%4.5%4.6%3.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.5%3.2%3.0%4.0%4.4%1.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.5%0.7%1.0%0.6%0.2%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.0%3.3%10.4%0.0%16.2%2.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate15.95.70.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff

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

Teachers3.0full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher12.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,350
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.22024/25

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m2312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate72 per 1,000 people21% 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
St Herbert's CofE (VA) Primary and Nursery SchoolChurch of England2.6 miles266Good 202454Compare
Lorton SchoolAcademy4.7 miles45Not inspected13Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Braithwaite CofE 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.

Beats13%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 10 is 36 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 46 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 10 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 10% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 3 to 39. 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%below
-0.19
2025 results; 11 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.33
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 11 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.03
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.02
2024/25; 40 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.16
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 11 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 Braithwaite CofE Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Braithwaite CofE Primary School scores 10 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 13% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 3 to 39, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Braithwaite CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Braithwaite CofE Primary School good at its last full inspection on 28 February 2024.

How good are Braithwaite CofE Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 36% 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 Braithwaite CofE Primary School have?

40 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 98 places, so it is 41% full.

Is Braithwaite CofE Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 60 places were empty in 2024/25 (61% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Braithwaite CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Braithwaite CofE Primary School?

The average class had 9.0 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
Braithwaite, Keswick, CA12 5TD
Telephone
01768 778356
Website
www.braithwaite.cumbria.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Jo Laker
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Carlisle
Multi-academy trust
The Good Shepherd Multi Academy Trust (13 schools)
Local authority
Cumberland
Ward
Bothel and Wharrels
Constituency
Penrith and Solway
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2015 (academy converter)
URN
142106 · LAESTAB 9423402 · UKPRN 10053704
Formerly
Braithwaite CofE VA Primary School

Where these figures come from