Robert Ferguson Primary School

Robert Ferguson Primary School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school as noted in its first ungraded inspection since November 2017. The school has high expectations for its pupils, leading to notable achievements across various subjects, alongside a broad and ambitious curriculum. Many pupils are engaged and proud of their learning experiences, complemented by a supportive environment that promotes kindness and respect among students. However, the report highlights areas for improvement in a small number of subjects where key knowledge has not been clearly identified, impacting depth of understanding for some pupils.

Strengths

• High expectations and ambitions for all pupils
• Strong subject knowledge among teachers
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs
• Engaging and well-resourced curriculum for early reading
• Variety of extracurricular activities enhancing personal development
• Strong safeguarding culture ensuring pupil safety

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, key knowledge not clearly defined

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 Robert Ferguson Primary School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.1% 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, 0.2% of pupils at Robert Ferguson 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 Robert Ferguson Primary School had 18.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.7% 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, 21.5% of pupils at Robert Ferguson Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.4% 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 Robert Ferguson Primary School received £6,910 and spent £6,908 for each of its 409 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £207,000 (£507 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 Carlisle · Cumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Robert Ferguson Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Robert Ferguson Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Robert Ferguson Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Robert Ferguson Primary School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Robert Ferguson Primary School have?

Robert Ferguson Primary School has 409 pupils on roll.

What age range does Robert Ferguson Primary School cover?

Robert Ferguson Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Robert Ferguson Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 38% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Robert Ferguson Primary School?

Robert Ferguson Primary School is at East Dale Street, Denton Holme, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA2 5LA.