School Chooser

Petteril Bank School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy147 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubCarlisleCumberland
School Chooser Score
28
Below
similar schools
Likely range 12 to 55, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 60% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, March 2026
Reached the expected level at 1150%England 63%
Attendance95.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families50%Far more than most schools
Parents would recommend91%23 Parent View responses
Places63 spare147 pupils, 210 places

Petteril Bank School is a converter academy in Carlisle for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 147 pupils and room for 210. About 50 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 28 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 60% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in March 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Burnett Road, Carlisle, CA1 3BX01228 631650petbank.cumbria.sch.ukMrs Jemma Nicholson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 10 March 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”
Strong
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
As expected
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.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

22 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1150%
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 score103.0
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: 29%29%20172018: 28%28%20182019: 25%25%20192023: 25%25%20232024: 19%19%20242025: 50%50%2025
Since 2017: +21%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†CumberlandEngland
Pupils tested222120281817
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths50%19%25%25%28%29%56%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%4%0%0%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.097.0100.095.097.096.0104.7105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0101.099.098.097.096.0103.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.098.099.096.097.097.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard55%29%50%32%28%41%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard55%57%50%43%39%35%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)64%52%35%57%67%47%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.5-4.5-6.9-5.0
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.0-3.5-4.9-4.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%8%25%30%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged50%38%33%29%

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 Petteril Bank School, the school this one replaced in November 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 3 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
50%50%
No gapEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%50%
No gapEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
67%50%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places134 pupils for 209 places, 2024/25
64% full

75 places were empty (36% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.

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.

What parents say

Would recommend the school91%England 87%
My child is happy here91%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe96%
Positive overall91%
My child is happy at this school
91%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
96%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
83%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
17% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
50%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
91%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
44% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
80%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
91%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
83%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
87%England 82%
I would recommend this school
91%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
91%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 23 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

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 roll147Census January 2026
Places21070% full
Pupils from low-income families49%50% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English20%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%18 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan8%11 pupils with a plan
Average class size17.97 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)58%£119,350 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls66 / 81
White British pupils67%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 18.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (10), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (4), emotional and mental health (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Physical disability (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census2026202520242023
Pupils on roll147160167170
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals49%51%47%47%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language20%21%19%17%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%15%7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans8%7%7%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.5%6.9%8.6%6.6%6.8%6.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.0%3.9%6.6%5.3%5.0%4.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.5%3.0%2.0%1.3%1.8%1.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.3%21.5%37.1%19.3%22.7%16.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.97.815.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions001

† These attendance figures are for Petteril Bank School, the school this one replaced in November 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers8.3full-time equivalent, 10 people
Pupils per teacher17.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants12.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,529
Teachers who left in the year13%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.92024/25

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£8,365England £7,128. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£8,673England £7,587. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,541England £3,405
Money in reserve1%Very little put by: £19k, £119 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£49kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,365spent 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 m25612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate81 per 1,000 people12% 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
Inglewood Infant SchoolCouncil810 m267Good 20238Compare
Inglewood Junior SchoolCouncil900 m229Report card 202611Compare
Upperby Primary SchoolCouncil970 m346Good 202247Compare
St Margaret Mary Catholic Primary School, CarlisleAcademy0.7 miles217Report card 202621Compare
The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided)Church of England0.9 miles139Good 20248Compare
Pennine Way Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles558Good 202218Compare
Brook Street Primary SchoolCouncil1.3 miles228Report card 202614Compare
Norman Street Primary SchoolCouncil1.3 miles322Good 202422Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Petteril Bank School with the 47 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 47 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 28 is 6 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 22 · highest 77100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 28 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 28% 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 55. 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%well below
-0.27
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 22 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.08
Ofsted report card, 0.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.17
DfE progress measure; 22 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.29
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.05
2024/25; 114 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.12
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 22 pupils
What parents say5%in line
+0.01
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 23 responses

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 Petteril Bank School a good school?

The figures are weak. Petteril Bank School scores 28 out of 100. That is below 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 12 to 55, 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 Petteril Bank School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 10 March 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as as expected.

How good are Petteril Bank School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 50% 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.

How many pupils does Petteril Bank School have?

147 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 70% full.

Is Petteril Bank School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 75 places were empty in 2024/25 (36% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Petteril Bank School?

Pupils were in school 95.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 5% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Petteril Bank School?

91% of the 23 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 91% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at Petteril Bank School?

The average class had 17.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Petteril Bank School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Burnett Road, Carlisle, CA1 3BX
Telephone
01228 631650
Website
www.petbank.cumbria.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Jemma Nicholson
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Cumbria Education Trust (17 schools)
Local authority
Cumberland
Ward
Harraby South
Constituency
Carlisle
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 November 2022 (academy converter)
URN
149410 · LAESTAB 9422610 · UKPRN 10091390
Formerly
Petteril Bank School

Where these figures come from