Lowca Community School

Lowca Community School is performing well overall, rated as good across all areas of its provision. Pupils express happiness and a strong sense of belonging, likening the school environment to being part of a family. The school promotes positive relationships and fosters a high standard of behavior among its students, who actively contribute to both school and community activities. The curriculum is designed to be broad and ambitious, effectively supporting students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). However, while most subjects are well delivered, there are some areas where the curriculum implementation could improve, affecting the depth of knowledge students acquire.

Strengths

• Strong relationships among pupils and staff create a family-like atmosphere.
• High expectations for pupils' achievement and behavior.
• Ambitious and broad curriculum that supports diverse learning.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Strong community ties and involvement in local initiatives.
• High levels of attendance and successful measures to improve it.
• Fostering a love of reading through a well-established phonics program.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent delivery of the curriculum in some subjects, affecting knowledge acquisition.

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 Lowca Community School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.0% 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, 6.8% of pupils at Lowca Community 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 Lowca Community School had 10.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 54.5% 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, 39.2% of pupils at Lowca Community School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.8% 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 Lowca Community School received £11,893 and spent £11,078 for each of its 51 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £91,000 (£1,777 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 Whitehaven · Cumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Lowca Community School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lowca Community School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Lowca Community School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lowca Community School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Lowca Community School have?

Lowca Community School has 51 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lowca Community School cover?

Lowca Community School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Lowca Community School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lowca Community School?

Lowca Community School is at Lowca, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 6QS.