School Chooser

Oughterside Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedFoundation69 pupilsNurseryWigtonCumberland
School Chooser Score
31
Below
similar schools
Likely range 12 to 62, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 58% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, April 2024
Attendance94.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families32%A bit more than most schools
Places15 spare69 pupils, 84 places
Pupils per teacher18.3School workforce census
Pupils on roll69Census January 2026

Oughterside Primary School is a foundation school in Wigton for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 69 pupils and room for 84. About 32 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 31 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 58% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Aspatria, Wigton, CA7 2PY01697 320579oughtersideschool.co.ukMrs Sarah Kirkbride headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 17 April 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”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

2 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
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2024
2017: 78%78%20172018: 57%57%20182019: 38%38%20192023: 50%50%20232024: 56%56%2024
Since 2017: -22%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017CumberlandEngland
Pupils tested296879
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths56%50%38%57%78%56%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%22%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score102.0107.099.0109.0106.0104.7105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0101.098.0104.0104.0103.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0105.099.0104.0103.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard67%67%50%100%78%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard78%50%63%71%78%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)78%67%75%86%78%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.9+5.0+4.2
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.7+0.5+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.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places53 pupils for 84 places, 2024/25
63% full

31 places were empty (37% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 12% 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 roll69Census January 2026
Places8482% full
Pupils from low-income families29%32% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support28%19 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size17.04 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)38%£34,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls38 / 31
White British pupils88%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (8), emotional and mental health (6), language and communications needs (5), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (3), Hearing impairment (1), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll696056647374
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals29%35%41%47%37%26%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support20%27%19%14%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%4%0%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school14.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils16.72024/25, 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 absence5.9%4.8%5.8%6.3%3.3%5.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.7%3.7%5.0%5.0%2.7%3.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.1%0.8%1.3%0.6%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence14.6%18.6%20.8%16.0%9.8%11.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate16.77.16.35.50.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers3.6full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher18.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants4.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,243
Teachers who left in the year19%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.82023/24

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£10,412England £7,738. Total £573k
Income per pupil£10,543England £7,697. Total £580k
Spent on teachers per pupil£5,317England £3,480
Money in reserve-13%In the red: -£75k, -£1,357 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£7,196it took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£10,412spent 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 m1812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate45 per 1,000 people51% 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
Plumbland CofE SchoolChurch of England1.9 miles53Report card 20264Compare
Richmond Hill SchoolCouncil2.1 miles205Report card 202615Compare
St Matthew's CofE SchoolChurch of England2.4 miles51Good 202372Compare
Allonby Primary SchoolCouncil2.9 miles27Good 20245Compare
Crosscanonby St John's CofE SchoolChurch of England3.3 miles51Good 20241Compare
Blennerhasset SchoolCouncil3.7 miles60Good 20234Compare
St Michael's CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England3.8 miles45Good 202424Compare
Holme St Cuthbert SchoolCouncil4.2 miles21Good 202433Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Oughterside 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.

Beats58%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 31 is 12 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 19 · highest 95100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 31 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 31% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 12 to 62. 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%in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 2.4 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.16
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.10
2024/25; 48 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 Oughterside Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Oughterside Primary School scores 31 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 58% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 12 to 62, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Oughterside Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Oughterside Primary School good at its last full inspection on 17 April 2024.

How many pupils does Oughterside Primary School have?

69 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 84 places, so it is 82% full.

Is Oughterside Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 31 places were empty in 2024/25 (37% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Oughterside Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 15% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Oughterside Primary School?

The average class had 17.0 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
Aspatria, Wigton, CA7 2PY
Telephone
01697 320579
Website
www.oughtersideschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Sarah Kirkbride
Type of school
Foundation school (Foundation school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Local authority
Cumberland
Ward
Dearham and Broughton
Constituency
Penrith and Solway
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
112138 · LAESTAB 9425226 · UKPRN 10073701

Where these figures come from