School Chooser

Scotby CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 5-11MixedFoundationChurch of England215 pupilsCarlisleCumberland
School Chooser Score
81
Above
similar schools
Likely range 63 to 91
Out of 100. Better than 65% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, March 2022
Reached the expected level at 1178%England 63%
Attendance96.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families7%Far fewer than most schools
Places11 spare215 pupils, 226 places
Pupils per teacher18.2School workforce census

Scotby CofE Primary School is a foundation school in Carlisle for boys and girls aged 5 to 11. It has 215 pupils and room for 226. About 7 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 81 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 65% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Park Road, Scotby, Carlisle, CA4 8AT01228 513270scotby.cumbria.sch.ukMiss Jacqueline Watson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 22 March 2022, 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

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

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
21 November 2019UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1178%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level12%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 76%76%20172018: 78%78%20182019: 56%56%20192023: 58%58%20232024: 70%70%20242025: 78%78%2025
Since 2017: +2%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017CumberlandEngland
Pupils tested413038393638
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths78%70%58%56%78%76%56%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths12%7%13%5%17%11%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0106.0108.0102.0107.0105.0104.7105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0107.0108.0106.0107.0105.0103.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0107.0108.0108.0110.0107.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard85%77%82%59%89%82%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard88%97%84%85%89%82%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)85%83%71%87%97%95%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.5-3.3-0.2+0.1
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.5+0.8+0.4+0.6

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.

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. None of the gaps is 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 11Boys vs girls
83%74%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 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. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Full233 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
111% full

The school is full, with 23 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have fallen by 8% 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 roll215Census January 2026
Places22695% full
Pupils from low-income families7%7% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English7%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%49 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.45 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)8%£26,350 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls115 / 100
White British pupils86%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (19), language and communications needs (17), Moderate learning difficulty (8), Specific learning difficulty (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Physical disability (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll215230235246252251
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals7%7%8%9%8%6%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language7%6%5%4%3%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support18%17%20%11%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%3%2%2%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.7%3.7%5.4%5.5%1.8%4.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.6%2.4%4.6%4.3%1.5%3.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%1.3%0.7%1.1%0.3%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.7%6.8%16.2%12.1%1.4%9.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.90.43.30.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers11.8full-time equivalent, 16 people
Pupils per teacher18.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants10.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,284
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.32024/25

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£6,301England £7,738. Total £1.4m
Income per pupil£6,296England £7,697. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,298England £3,480
Money in reserve2%Very little put by: £34k, £149 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£1,248it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,301spent 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 m1712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate41 per 1,000 people55% 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
Pennine Way Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles558Good 202218Compare
St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, CarlisleAcademy1.0 miles188Good 202353Compare
Inglewood Junior SchoolCouncil1.2 miles229Report card 202611Compare
Inglewood Infant SchoolCouncil1.3 miles267Good 20238Compare
Norman Street Primary SchoolCouncil1.6 miles322Good 202422Compare
Petteril Bank SchoolAcademy1.7 miles147Report card 202628Compare
Brook Street Primary SchoolCouncil1.7 miles228Report card 202614Compare
Cumwhinton SchoolCouncil1.9 miles198Good 202338Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Scotby 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.

Beats65%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 81 is 6 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 15 · middle 76 · highest 99100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 81 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 81% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 63 to 91. 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%above
+0.16
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 41 pupils
Ofsted inspection16% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.09
DfE progress measure; 41 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.03
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.11
2024/25; 209 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 41 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 Scotby CofE Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Scotby CofE Primary School scores 81 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 65% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 63 to 91, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Scotby CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Scotby CofE Primary School good at its last full inspection on 22 March 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 Scotby CofE Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 78% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 12% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Scotby CofE Primary School have?

215 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 226 places, so it is 95% full.

Is Scotby CofE Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 23 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Scotby CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Scotby CofE Primary School?

The average class had 28.4 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
Park Road, Scotby, Carlisle, CA4 8AT
Telephone
01228 513270
Website
www.scotby.cumbria.sch.uk
Headteacher
Miss Jacqueline Watson
Type of school
Foundation school (Foundation school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Carlisle
Local authority
Cumberland
Ward
Wetheral
Constituency
Carlisle
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
112403 · LAESTAB 9425201 · UKPRN 10073699

Where these figures come from