Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School

Holm Cultram Abbey CofE School has been confirmed to continue providing a good education for its pupils. The school promotes a respectful and kind environment, where pupils feel safe and supported. Staff maintain high expectations for behavior, leading to minimal disruptions in lessons. The curriculum has been revised to ensure it is ambitious and supports learning across mixed-age classes. Children in Reception develop essential reading and number skills early on, reinforcing a strong foundation for their education. While many areas of the school are functioning effectively, there are a few concerns, particularly regarding the support and training for new subject leaders. These leaders have not yet received adequate training in their roles, which may hinder their effectiveness in monitoring teaching and further developing the curriculum. Overall, the school is performing well and is preparing its pupils for future education and life experiences.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud, respectful, and kind.
• Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behavior.
• Reading is prioritized, with effective phonics instruction.
• Curriculum is ambitious and logically organized.
• Pupils with SEND receive effective support to thrive.
• Pupils participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities.
• Staff provide a supportive and caring environment for students.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subject leaders are new and lack training to lead their subjects effectively.

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 Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.6% 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 Holm Cultram Abbey CofE 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 Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School had 14.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.0% 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, 14.0% of pupils at Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.7% 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 Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School received £12,935 and spent £12,533 for each of its 43 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £75,000 (£1,754 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 Wigton · Cumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School have?

Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School has 43 pupils on roll.

What age range does Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School cover?

Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 10% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School?

Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School is at Abbeytown, Wigton, Cumbria, CA7 4RU.