School Chooser

The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided)

Primary · ages 3-11MixedChurch of England139 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubCarlisleCumberland
School Chooser Score
8
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 4 to 17
Out of 100. Better than 14% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, April 2024
Reached the expected level at 1143%England 63%
Attendance91.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families50%Far more than most schools
Places101 spare139 pupils, 240 places
Pupils per teacher18.0School workforce census

The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided) is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Carlisle for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 139 pupils and room for 240. About 50 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 8 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 14% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Harold Street, Currock, Carlisle, CA2 4HG01228 590794bishopharveygoodwin.co.ukMiss Kate Holland headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 30 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

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

Reached the expected level at 1143%
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 score101.0
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: 57%57%20172018: 74%74%20182019: 69%69%20192023: 44%44%20232024: 35%35%20242025: 43%43%2025
Since 2017: -14%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017CumberlandEngland
Pupils tested233125363830
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths43%35%44%69%74%57%56%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%4%3%8%7%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score101.0100.0103.0105.0105.0102.0104.7105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.099.099.0106.0106.0105.0103.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0101.0102.0106.0109.0107.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard61%42%60%83%82%67%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard52%45%52%86%92%87%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)57%52%60%78%82%70%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.1+0.2-0.5-1.0
Maths progressMaths progress score-4.1+0.2+1.3+1.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged36%33%50%67%54%59%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged56%40%36%71%84%54%

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. 2 of the 3 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
36%56%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%38%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 5 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. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places147 pupils for 238 places, 2024/25
62% full

91 places were empty (38% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 21% 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 roll139Census January 2026
Places24058% full
Pupils from low-income families48%50% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English14%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%23 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan9%13 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.33 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils33%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)50%£106,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls70 / 69
White British pupils80%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (16), Moderate learning difficulty (10), emotional and mental health (6), Specific learning difficulty (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll139144165183193213
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals48%50%53%52%50%42%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language14%11%13%10%8%8%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%13%14%9%7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans9%7%7%5%6%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance91.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school28.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils6.92024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission2.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence8.2%9.0%7.3%6.6%6.2%5.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.4%6.6%6.4%4.9%4.6%4.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.7%2.4%1.0%1.7%1.5%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence28.1%32.5%32.2%23.7%21.9%9.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate6.932.78.28.89.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10000

Staff and money

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

Teachers7.6full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher18.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,351
Teachers who left in the year6%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.52024/25

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£9,664England £7,738. Total £1.4m
Income per pupil£9,360England £7,697. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,298England £3,480
Money in reserve-12%In the red: -£156k, -£1,082 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£44kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£9,664spent 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 m45412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate167 per 1,000 people84% higher 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
St Margaret Mary Catholic Primary School, CarlisleAcademy500 m217Report card 202621Compare
Upperby Primary SchoolCouncil750 m346Good 202247Compare
Brook Street Primary SchoolCouncil950 m228Report card 202614Compare
Robert Ferguson Primary SchoolCouncil0.6 miles409Good 202320Compare
Norman Street Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles322Good 202422Compare
Inglewood Infant SchoolCouncil0.9 miles267Good 20238Compare
Petteril Bank SchoolAcademy0.9 miles147Report card 202628Compare
Inglewood Junior SchoolCouncil0.9 miles229Report card 202611Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided) with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats14%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 8 is 10 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 18 · highest 81100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 8 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 8% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 4 to 17. 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
-0.28
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 23 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.16
DfE progress measure; 23 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.06
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.20
2024/25; 139 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 23 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 The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided) a good school?

The figures are weak. The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided) scores 8 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 14% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 4 to 17, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided)'s Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided) good at its last full inspection on 30 April 2024.

How good are The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided)'s SATs results?

In summer 2025, 43% 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 The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided) have?

139 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 58% full.

Is The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided) oversubscribed?

Probably not. 91 places were empty in 2024/25 (38% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided)?

Pupils were in school 91.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 28% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided)?

The average class had 28.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 33% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided) 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
Harold Street, Currock, Carlisle, CA2 4HG
Telephone
01228 590794
Website
www.bishopharveygoodwin.co.uk
Headteacher
Miss Kate Holland
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
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
Cumberland
Ward
Currock
Constituency
Carlisle
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2002 (result of amalgamation)
URN
133727 · LAESTAB 9422721 · UKPRN 10079192
Formerly
Bishop Goodwin Memorial CofE Junior School, Bishop Goodwin CofE Nursery and Infant School

Where these figures come from