Kirkbride Primary School

Kirkbride Primary School has been evaluated as providing a good overall quality of education, with particularly outstanding behaviour and attitudes from its pupils. There have been significant improvements made to the curriculum in recent years, which have positively impacted pupil learning experiences and achievements. Pupils are engaged and enjoy their time at school, feeling safe and supported by the caring environment fostered by the leadership team. The school effectively serves its community and provides a range of extracurricular activities that broaden pupils' horizons beyond their rural setting.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate exemplary behaviour and have high expectations for treating each other well.
• Recent curriculum improvements have resulted in pupils learning more effectively.
• Teachers are well-trained in delivering the phonics programme, helping pupils become confident readers.
• Strong support systems for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are in place.
• Pupils benefit from a variety of enriching extracurricular activities and community projects.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects have uneven implementation of the new curriculum, affecting pupils' progress.
• Outdoor provision in early years lacks breadth and does not align well with the curriculum.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Kirkbride Primary School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.6% of pupils at Kirkbride Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Kirkbride Primary School had 12.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 23.4% of pupils at Kirkbride Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Kirkbride Primary School received £9,928 and spent £9,596 for each of its 75 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £10,000 (-£137 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Wigton · Cumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Kirkbride Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kirkbride Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Kirkbride Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Kirkbride Primary School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Kirkbride Primary School have?

Kirkbride Primary School has 77 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kirkbride Primary School cover?

Kirkbride Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Kirkbride Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 38% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Kirkbride Primary School?

Kirkbride Primary School is at Kirkbride, Wigton, Cumbria, CA7 5JR.