North Lakes School

North Lakes School is performing well overall, graded as good in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Pupils appreciate the strong support and care they receive from staff, fostering a positive and respectful environment. The school maintains high expectations, ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), strive to achieve their best. Enhanced efforts to engage parents and active community involvement contribute to pupils' personal growth and development.

Strengths

• Strong support and care provided by staff.
• Pupils show empathy and respect for one another.
• Well-ordered curriculum that builds knowledge logically.
• Effective identification and support for pupils' additional needs.
• Reading is prioritised, with most pupils being fluent readers.
• High levels of engagement and community involvement.

Areas for Improvement

• Insufficient opportunities for pupils to revisit prior learning in some subjects.
• Limited training and support for some subject leaders.

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 North Lakes School attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.3% 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, 4.5% of pupils at North Lakes 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 North Lakes School had 19.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.8% 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, 36.0% of pupils at North Lakes School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 7 pupils.

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 North Lakes School received £9,018 and spent £8,842 for each of its 161 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £123,000 (£763 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 Penrith · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications

What is North Lakes School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for North Lakes School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was North Lakes School last inspected by Ofsted?

North Lakes School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does North Lakes School have?

North Lakes School has 161 pupils on roll.

What age range does North Lakes School cover?

North Lakes School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are North Lakes School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 39% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is North Lakes School?

North Lakes School is at Huntley Avenue, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 8NU.