Monkwray Junior School

Monkwray Junior School continues to perform well as a good school, demonstrating a commitment to providing quality education for its pupils. The leadership team has put an emphasis on creating an engaging curriculum and fostering positive relationships between staff and students. Most pupils are thriving in this supportive environment, enjoying their learning experiences and demonstrating good behavior. The school prioritizes reading, successfully nurturing confident readers who show a keen interest in literature. Additionally, the positive involvement of parents reinforces the school’s reputation as a happy and conducive place for learning. Despite these strengths, there are areas where improvement is needed. Specifically, some pupils struggle with the recall and accurate use of key vocabulary across subjects, indicating that teaching methods could be more consistent in reinforcing this aspect. While the school is considered effective overall, addressing these vocabulary issues will be crucial for enhancing pupils' academic performance further.

Strengths

• Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• The school has a broad and engaging curriculum.
• Reading is promoted well across all year groups.
• Pupils enjoy a supportive and happy learning environment.
• Good behavior is promoted effectively.
• Leaders have established a strong safeguarding culture.
• Pupils have opportunities to take on roles and responsibilities.
• Strong relationships are fostered between staff and pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils struggle to recall and accurately use key vocabulary in subjects.

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 Monkwray Junior School attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.2% 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, 5.2% of pupils at Monkwray Junior 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 Monkwray Junior School had 13.0 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, 12.8% of pupils at Monkwray Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.2% 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 Monkwray Junior School received £9,725 and spent £9,570 for each of its 109 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £68,000 (£625 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 Monkwray Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Monkwray Junior School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Monkwray Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Monkwray Junior School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Monkwray Junior School have?

Monkwray Junior School has 109 pupils on roll.

What age range does Monkwray Junior School cover?

Monkwray Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Monkwray Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 41% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Monkwray Junior School?

Monkwray Junior School is at Monkwray Brow, Monkwray Junior School, Monkwray Brow, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 9DT.