Kirkby Stephen Primary School

Kirkby Stephen Primary School continues to demonstrate good performance, with a strong, supportive environment described as family-like by pupils. They feel safe and are confident in discussing any concerns with adults. The school has high expectations for behaviour and academic progress, fostering independence and accountability among its students. A notable strength is the school's effective curriculum that not only engages pupils across various subjects but also prepares them for future challenges through initiatives such as the 'nine standards challenge'. After the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders have been proactive in reinstating a variety of enriching activities, contributing positively to pupils' personal development.

Strengths

• Ambitious and well-thought-out curriculum.
• Strong love for reading and mathematics among pupils.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Exemplary pupil behaviour in and out of the classroom.
• Proactive leadership in addressing the impact of COVID-19.

Areas for Improvement

• Some reading materials for struggling readers in key stage 2 do not align with phonics learning.
• Inconsistencies in the use of assessment strategies across some 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 Kirkby Stephen Primary School attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.3% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Kirkby Stephen 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 Kirkby Stephen Primary School had 20.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.9% 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, 13.8% of pupils at Kirkby Stephen Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.6% 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 Kirkby Stephen Primary School received £6,851 and spent £6,838 for each of its 182 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £250,000 (£1,374 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 Westmorland And Furness · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications

What is Kirkby Stephen Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kirkby Stephen Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2022.

When was Kirkby Stephen Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Kirkby Stephen Primary School was last inspected in September 2022.

How many pupils does Kirkby Stephen Primary School have?

Kirkby Stephen Primary School has 189 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kirkby Stephen Primary School cover?

Kirkby Stephen Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Kirkby Stephen Primary School?

Kirkby Stephen Primary School is at Nateby Road, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, CA17 4AE.