Brunswick School
Brunswick School is a community school in Penrith for pupils aged 3 to 7. It has 140 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Brunswick School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.
Ofsted inspection: May 2023.
| Type | Primary / Community school |
| Age Range | 3-7 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Brunswick Road Penrith Cumbria CA11 7LX |
| Reference Number | 112117 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 140 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 60%
Girls: 40% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 20.7% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 22.1% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 20.7 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 21.6 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | 12 | 33 |
| 2 | 21 | 12 | 33 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 71.4% |
| White, Other | 13.6% |
| Unclassified | 5% |
| African | 2.9% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.4% |
| Asian, Other | 1.4% |
| Pakistani | 0.7% |
Brunswick School continues to provide a good educational experience for its pupils, fostering a warm and positive environment where students feel valued and secure. The school has implemented high expectations for student behavior and achievement, which has contributed to a strong sense of community among pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents express their satisfaction with the nurturing atmosphere that supports both academic and personal development, highlighting the school's commitment to inclusiveness and student well-being.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 23 Mar 2023 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 23 Mar 2023 | School inspection |
| 16 Jan 2018 | Full inspection: |
| 05 Mar 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 27 Jan 2011 | Monitoring visit |
| 06 Oct 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 27 Mar 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 04 Mar 2002 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils thrive on positive and nurturing relationships with staff.
- High aspirations and inclusive vision drive school leadership.
- Swift and effective actions taken to support pupils' achievement.
- Well-designed curriculum in the early years that prioritizes communication and language skills.
- Strong emphasis on phonics and mathematics with effective teaching.
- Pupils behave well and respond positively to high expectations.
- Effective safeguarding measures with a strong culture of safety.
Areas for Improvement
- Some curriculum areas lack finalization in subject leadership, leading to unclear key knowledge for teachers.
- Activities in some subjects do not promote necessary depth of knowledge for all pupils.
- Attendance issues among a small number of pupils affecting their learning.
Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 18 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 6 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 2 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Brunswick School had 107 pupils for 157 places. 50 places (31.8%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Penrith Primary” planning area
Westmorland and Furness counted 154 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 168 in 2029–30, up 9%.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 135 | 135 | 135 | 135 | 135 | 156 | 157 | 157 | 157 | 157 | 157 | 157 | 157 | 157 | 157 |
| Pupils | 116 | 125 | 109 | 132 | 144 | 163 | 155 | 151 | 152 | 148 | 132 | 126 | 128 | 119 | 107 |
| Unfilled | 14.1% | 7.4% | 19.3% | 2.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.3% | 3.8% | 3.2% | 5.7% | 15.9% | 19.7% | 18.5% | 24.2% | 31.8% |
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 Brunswick School attended 93.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 4.3% | 3.9% | 4.6% | 4.0% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 2.4% | 6.0% | 5.8% | 5.1% | 5.0% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.4% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 1.0% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Severely absent pupils | 1.1% | 1.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
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, 0.7% of pupils at Brunswick School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 4.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 Brunswick School had 17.8 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
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 10.1 | 9.5 | 10.4 | 10.4 | 10.0 | 8.6 | 10.0 | 12.3 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 10.0 | 12.1 | 8.9 | 9.7 | 8.6 | 9.3 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 7.9% | 0.0% | 9.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 11.9% | 13.7% | 11.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 71.4% | 37.5% | 42.9% | 37.5% | 75.0% | 55.6% | 66.7% | 50.0% | 55.6% | – | 50.0% | 77.8% | 77.8% | 37.5% | 50.0% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 5.6 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 9.0 | 3.2 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 1.7 | – | 2.2 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 11.3 | 1.1 | – |
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, 29.3% of pupils at Brunswick School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Speech, language and communication needs | 20 | 2 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 9 | 3 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 5 | 0 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 3 | 1 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 2 | 0 |
| Physical disability | 1 | 0 |
| Vision impairment | 1 | 0 |
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 Brunswick School received £8,252 and spent £9,114 for each of its 128 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £167,000 (-£1,301 per pupil).
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | -£3,000 | £9,000 | £62,000 | £39,000 | -£22,000 | -£22,000 | -£56,000 | -£167,000 |
| per pupil | -£20 | £56 | £414 | £281 | -£147 | -£163 | -£421 | -£1,301 |
| In-year balance | £49,000 | £13,000 | £52,000 | -£23,000 | -£61,000 | -£0 | -£34,000 | -£110,000 |
| per pupil | £296 | £76 | £351 | -£163 | -£412 | -£3 | -£256 | -£862 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).
| Name | Distance |
|
St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Penrith
Drovers Lane, St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 9EL |
0.19 miles |
|
Beaconside CofE Primary School
Hutton Hill, Beaconside C of E Primary School, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 8EN |
0.5 miles |
|
North Lakes School
Huntley Avenue, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 8NU |
0.65 miles |
|
Hunter Hall School
Frenchfield, Penrith, CA11 8UA |
1.36 miles |
|
Yanwath Primary School
Yanwath, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 2LA |
1.78 miles |
|
Stainton CofE Primary School
Stainton, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0ET |
2.37 miles |
|
Clifton Primary School
Clifton, Clifton Primary School, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 2EG |
2.65 miles |
|
Langwathby CofE Primary School
Salkeld Road, Langwathby, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 1ND |
4.03 miles |
|
Plumpton School
Plumpton, Plumpton School, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 9PA |
4.35 miles |
|
Greystoke Primary School
Icold Road, Greystoke, Greystoke School, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0TP |
4.57 miles |
|
Lowther Endowed School
Hackthorpe, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 2HT |
4.59 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith
Ullswater Road, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 7EG |
0.45 miles |
|
Ullswater Community College
Wetheriggs Lane, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 8NG |
0.48 miles |
All schools in Penrith · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications
What is Brunswick School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Brunswick School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.
When was Brunswick School last inspected by Ofsted?
Brunswick School was last inspected in May 2023.
How many pupils does Brunswick School have?
Brunswick School has 140 pupils on roll.
What age range does Brunswick School cover?
Brunswick School for pupils aged 3 to 7.
Where is Brunswick School?
Brunswick School is at Brunswick Road, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 7LX.
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