St Bees Village Primary School
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St Bees Village Primary School is a converter academy in St Bees for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 162 pupils and room for 210. About 7 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 62 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 39% of the 50 schools most like it.
Main Street, St Bees, CA27 0AA01946 822392stbeesvillageschool.educationMrs Claire O'Reilly headteacherAll details
Ofsted
Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet. That is normal for a school that opened in 2023: new schools usually get their first inspection within three years.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
23 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024† | 2023† | 2019† | 2018† | 2017† | Cumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 23 | 18 | 27 | 22 | 17 | 28 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 61% | 50% | 41% | 73% | 82% | 61% | 56% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 13% | 0% | 0% | 5% | 12% | 4% | 6% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 107.0 | 104.0 | 102.0 | 105.0 | 108.0 | 105.0 | 104.7 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 104.0 | 102.0 | 100.0 | 104.0 | 108.0 | 102.0 | 103.0 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 103.0 | 103.0 | 103.0 | 104.0 | 107.0 | 102.0 | 104.1 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 78% | 83% | 59% | 82% | 82% | 89% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 65% | 67% | 59% | 77% | 94% | 64% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 91% | 94% | 93% | 95% | 94% | 96% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -2.3 | -1.2 | +2.3 | -1.1 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -3.5 | -2.6 | +2.3 | -3.7 | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | – | – | – | – | – | 61% | – | – |
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 St Bees Village Primary School, the school this one replaced in November 2023. 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. 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
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.
66 places were empty (31% 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.
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.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 17.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 21.3 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (6), language and communications needs (3), Specific learning difficulty (2), Vision impairment (2).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 162 | 170 | 176 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 7% | 6% | 8% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 14% | 11% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 2% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23† | 2021/22† | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 4.7% | 5.9% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 2.5% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.3% | 4.4% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 2.0% | 3.3% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.4% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 0.5% | 1.3% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 6.2% | 13.3% | 30.0% | 16.3% | 3.9% | 6.8% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
† These attendance figures are for St Bees Village Primary School, the school this one replaced in November 2023. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Staff
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025.
The area around the school
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orgill Primary School | Council | 2.1 miles | 228 | Report card 2026 | 8 | Compare |
| St Bridget's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 2.3 miles | 198 | Good 2023 | 54 | Compare |
| Bookwell Primary School | Council | 2.4 miles | 194 | Outstanding 2024 | 95 | Compare |
| Moor Row Community Primary School | Council | 2.6 miles | 72 | Good 2024 | 21 | Compare |
| Valley Primary School and Nursery | Council | 2.7 miles | 286 | Good 2024 | 8 | Compare |
| Thornhill Primary School | Academy | 3.1 miles | 85 | Good 2023 | 23 | Compare |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.1 miles | 195 | No overall grade 2025 | 82 | Compare |
| Kells Infant School | Council | 3.2 miles | 130 | No overall grade 2024 | 84 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares St Bees Village 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.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St Bees Village Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broughton Primary School | Academy | 14.0 miles | 146 | Good 2024 | 86 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 62 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 62% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 21 to 90. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 25% | in line | +0.11 | 2025 results; 23 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 0% | no data | – | |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.05 | Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 23 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 0% | no data | – | |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.10 | 2024/25; 130 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | -0.02 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 23 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 St Bees Village Primary School a good school?
It is about average. St Bees Village Primary School scores 62 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 39% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 21 to 90, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
How good are St Bees Village Primary School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 61% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 13% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does St Bees Village Primary School have?
162 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 77% full.
Is St Bees Village Primary School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 66 places were empty in 2024/25 (31% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at St Bees Village Primary School?
Pupils were in school 95.3% 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 St Bees Village Primary School?
The average class had 20.4 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
- Main Street, St Bees, CA27 0AA
- Telephone
- 01946 822392
- Website
- stbeesvillageschool.education
- Headteacher
- Mrs Claire O'Reilly
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Changing Lives Learning Trust (9 schools)
- Local authority
- Cumberland
- Ward
- Egremont North and St Bees
- Constituency
- Whitehaven and Workington
- Setting
- Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 November 2023 (academy converter)
- URN
- 149818 · LAESTAB 9422225 · UKPRN 10092394
- Formerly
- St Bees Village Primary School
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.