School Chooser

Cartmel CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England47 pupilsGrange-over-SandsWestmorland and Furness
School Chooser Score
38
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 14 to 71, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 44% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, March 2020
Reached the expected level at 1157%England 63%
Attendance94.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families9%Far fewer than most schools
Places23 spare47 pupils, 70 places
Pupils per teacher13.8School workforce census

Cartmel CofE Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Grange-over-Sands for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 47 pupils and room for 70. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 38 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 44% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2020.

Aynsome Road, Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands, LA11 6PR01539 536262cartmel.cumbria.sch.ukMrs Rachel Battersby headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 3 March 2020, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A later, shorter visit on 25 February 2025 said: “Standards maintained”.

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

This inspection is more than 6 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
25 February 2025UngradedStandards maintained

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 score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 74%74%20172018: 75%75%20182019: 73%73%20192024: 30%30%20242025: 57%57%2025
Since 2017: -17%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Westmorland and FurnessEngland
Pupils tested710411819
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths57%30%73%75%74%58%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%13%5%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.098.0106.0108.0107.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.098.0103.0104.0104.0104.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0100.0108.0109.0106.0104.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard86%50%82%88%84%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard57%30%82%75%84%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)71%50%82%88%84%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.4+2.1-1.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.7+0.4-4.2

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 places48 pupils for 70 places, 2024/25
69% full

22 places were empty (31% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 9% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place.

EntryApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary171all offeredLA

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 roll47Census January 2026
Places7067% full
Pupils from low-income families9%9% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support4%2 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan13%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size15.73 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)9%£6,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls19 / 28
White British pupils94%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 18.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 14.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (5), Moderate learning difficulty (1), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1), language and communications needs (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll474959605353
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals9%8%10%10%11%11%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%2%3%3%4%8%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support6%17%15%17%9%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans16%10%7%4%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school14.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.6%5.7%5.9%8.1%2.8%6.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.5%3.4%4.5%6.1%2.4%5.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%2.3%1.4%2.0%0.4%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence14.3%15.0%20.4%27.1%2.4%9.6%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.

Teachers3.4full-time equivalent, 4 people
Pupils per teacher13.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants4.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£37,096
Teachers who left in the year11%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.32024/25

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£11,662England £7,738. Total £571k
Income per pupil£11,997England £7,697. Total £588k
Spent on teachers per pupil£5,326England £3,480
Money in reserve-7%In the red: -£42k, -£861 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£16kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£11,662spent 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 m2312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate42 per 1,000 people54% 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
Allithwaite CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England1.2 miles109Good 202259Compare
Grange CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England1.5 miles192Good 202377Compare
Flookburgh CofE Primary SchoolFoundation2.2 miles58Not inspectedCompare
Lindale CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England2.4 miles47Good 202425Compare
Leven Valley CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England3.9 miles68No overall grade 202422Compare
Dean Barwick Primary SchoolVoluntary4.6 miles51Good 20231Compare
Arnside National CofE SchoolAcademy4.8 miles95Good 202485Compare
Penny Bridge CofE SchoolAcademy4.9 miles123Good 202438Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Cartmel CofE Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats44%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 38 is 9 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 47 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 38 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 38% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 14 to 71. 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 inspection12% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 6.5 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.17
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.00
2024/25; 42 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 Cartmel CofE Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Cartmel CofE Primary School scores 38 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 44% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 14 to 71, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Cartmel CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Cartmel CofE Primary School good at its last full inspection on 3 March 2020. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Cartmel CofE Primary 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 Cartmel CofE Primary School have?

47 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 70 places, so it is 67% full.

Is Cartmel CofE Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 22 places were empty in 2024/25 (31% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Cartmel CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Cartmel CofE Primary School?

The average class had 15.7 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
Aynsome Road, Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands, LA11 6PR
Telephone
01539 536262
Website
www.cartmel.cumbria.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Rachel Battersby
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Carlisle
Local authority
Westmorland and Furness
Ward
Grange and Cartmel
Constituency
Westmorland and Lonsdale
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
112283 · LAESTAB 9433126 · UKPRN 10074924

Where these figures come from