Kirkoswald CofE School

Kirkoswald CofE School is a small village primary where pupils are happy, polite and proud of their school. Inspectors found high expectations, good behaviour and a broad range of opportunities, including clubs, trips and community activities. The new leadership team has moved quickly to introduce new curriculums, with early reading a particular priority, and pupils generally achieve well and leave well prepared for secondary school. The school’s strengths include a warm and welcoming culture, effective phonics teaching, strong personal development and good support from governors. Safeguarding is effective, attendance is high, and staff feel valued. Pupils benefit from responsibilities, external events and experiences that build confidence and independence. There are still areas to improve. In a small number of subjects and some early years areas, the curriculum is not precisely sequenced, and in a few subjects gaps in pupils’ prior learning are not identified well enough. Provision for pupils with SEND is not consistently adapted, which means some do not achieve as well as they could. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, polite and respectful, and behaviour is good.
• The school has high expectations and pupils achieve well.
• Early reading and phonics are well taught, with effective support for pupils who need extra help.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips and community experiences.
• Personal development is strong, including pupils’ understanding of British values.
• Pupils take on responsibilities and contribute to school and community life.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Attendance is high, and the school works closely with families where attendance needs to improve.
• Governors provide effective support and challenge and consider staff workload.
• Staff feel valued and enjoy working at the school.

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects and some early years areas, the curriculum is not precisely defined or well sequenced.
• In a few subjects, gaps in pupils’ prior knowledge are not identified and addressed well enough.
• Activities are not consistently adapted for pupils with SEND, so some do not achieve as well as they could.
• Some pupils do not recall prior learning securely enough to build on it in a few 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 Kirkoswald CofE School attended 97.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 2.3% 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 Kirkoswald CofE 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 Kirkoswald CofE School had 17.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 41.7% 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, 12.5% of pupils at Kirkoswald CofE School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.0% 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 Kirkoswald CofE School received £11,021 and spent £10,971 for each of its 47 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £138,000 (£2,926 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 Penrith · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications

What is Kirkoswald CofE School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kirkoswald CofE School is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Kirkoswald CofE School last inspected by Ofsted?

Kirkoswald CofE School was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Kirkoswald CofE School have?

Kirkoswald CofE School has 48 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kirkoswald CofE School cover?

Kirkoswald CofE School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Kirkoswald CofE School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Kirkoswald CofE School?

Kirkoswald CofE School is at Kirkoswald, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 1EN.