School Chooser

Orton CofE School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedChurch of England47 pupilsNurseryPenrithWestmorland and Furness
School Chooser Score
87
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 68 to 96, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 91% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, June 2022
Reached the expected level at 1157%England 63%
Attendance97.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families4%Far fewer than most schools
Places49 spare47 pupils, 96 places
Pupils per teacher11.3School workforce census

Orton CofE School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Penrith for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 47 pupils and room for 96. About 4 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 87 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 91% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Orton, Penrith, CA10 3RG01539 624268ortoncofeprimary.co.ukEmma Pomfret headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 14 June 2022 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.

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

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 level14%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 57%57%20172018: 50%50%20182019: 83%83%20192023: 75%75%20232024: 43%43%20242025: 57%57%2025
Since 2017: +0%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Westmorland and FurnessEngland
Pupils tested7786167
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths57%43%75%83%50%57%58%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths14%0%25%0%0%0%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0102.0105.0112.0105.0107.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0103.0107.0109.0101.0101.0104.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.099.0106.0109.0103.0104.0104.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard57%43%75%100%94%71%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard57%71%75%100%56%57%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)57%43%88%83%94%71%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.6+4.8-1.1+0.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.4+1.1-5.2-5.5
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged50%

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 84 places, 2024/25
56% full

37 places were empty (44% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 11% 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 Primary108all 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
Places9649% full
Pupils from low-income families4%4% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%11 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size11.01 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 girls23 / 24
White British pupils98%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (5), Specific learning difficulty (3), emotional and mental health (2), language and communications needs (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll475352556168
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals4%13%6%2%8%9%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support25%21%20%16%18%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%0%0%2%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 97.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance97.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school2.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence2.7%3.1%5.5%5.6%2.9%3.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.4%2.5%4.3%4.2%1.4%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.3%0.6%1.2%1.4%1.6%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence2.4%0.0%22.9%15.2%12.5%5.3%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.

Teachers4.2full-time equivalent, 7 people
Pupils per teacher11.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants1.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,943
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.42024/25

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£9,204England £7,738. Total £488k
Income per pupil£9,725England £7,697. Total £515k
Spent on teachers per pupil£5,347England £3,480
Money in reserve9%A healthy amount put by: £47k, £883 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£28kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£9,204spent 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 m1112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate57 per 1,000 people38% 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
Tebay Primary SchoolAcademy2.5 miles49Good 202071Compare
Crosby Ravensworth CofE SchoolChurch of England4.3 miles42No overall grade 202587Compare
Asby Endowed SchoolVoluntary4.8 miles20Good 202438Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Orton CofE 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.

Beats91%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 87 is 36 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 51 · highest 95100

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 87 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 87% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 68 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 inspection17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 4.2 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.26
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.30
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 Orton CofE School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Orton CofE School scores 87 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 91% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 68 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 Orton CofE School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Orton CofE School good at its last full inspection on 14 June 2022. 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 Orton CofE 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%. 14% 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 Orton CofE School have?

47 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 96 places, so it is 49% full.

Is Orton CofE School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 37 places were empty in 2024/25 (44% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Orton CofE School?

Pupils were in school 97.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 2% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Orton CofE School?

The average class had 11.0 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
Orton, Penrith, CA10 3RG
Telephone
01539 624268
Website
ortoncofeprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Emma Pomfret
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Carlisle
Local authority
Westmorland and Furness
Ward
Kirkby Stephen and Tebay
Constituency
Westmorland and Lonsdale
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
112419 · LAESTAB 9435217 · UKPRN 10077437

Where these figures come from