Rockcliffe CofE School

Rockcliffe CofE School is a small Church of England primary school that has undergone significant change since its last inspection, including a headteacher appointed in 2023. Inspectors found it performing solidly overall: pupils achieve well from their starting points, including those with SEND and other barriers, and outcomes are broadly in line with national averages. Behaviour is very good, attendance has improved, and pupils feel safe and well supported. Safeguarding standards are met. The curriculum is broad, ambitious and generally well sequenced, with teaching that explains new learning clearly and adapts for pupils who need extra help. Phonics and mathematics are particular strengths, and leadership and governance are effective, with accurate self-evaluation and strong attention to staff workload and development. Inclusion is a notable strength: leaders are aspirational, use funding purposefully and work with families and agencies to meet pupils' needs. The main area needing attention is early years, especially nursery, where the curriculum does not yet set out clearly what children should learn over time, so support for deepening learning varies. Leaders are also still embedding new spelling and handwriting approaches, and some support-plan targets lack precision, which can weaken the focus on pupils' progress.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well from their starting points, including those with SEND and other barriers.
• Phonics teaching is strong, and pupils who struggle catch up quickly.
• Pupils develop secure mathematics knowledge, including fluent times-table recall.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious and well sequenced, including for mixed-age classes.
• Teaching generally explains new learning clearly and checks pupils' understanding.
• Staff adapt teaching and provide resources or adult support so pupils can access lessons.
• Pupils behave very well, are keen to learn and follow routines consistently.
• Attendance processes are effective, and persistent absence has reduced.
• Leaders are aspirational for all pupils and use additional funding purposefully.
• Governors are knowledgeable, fulfil statutory duties and hold leaders to account.
• Leaders consider staff workload and provide training and collaboration opportunities.
• Personal development is broad, age-appropriate and includes online and offline safety.
• Pastoral support is nurturing and has a positive impact on pupils' wellbeing.
• Pupils are highly respectful, understand British values and contribute to the community.
• Early years staff build positive relationships and teach phonics skilfully.

Areas for Improvement

• The nursery curriculum does not clearly identify and sequence key knowledge, so staff are not consistently clear what children should learn over time.
• New approaches to teaching spelling and handwriting are not yet embedded consistently across the school.
• Some pupils do not accurately and consistently apply handwriting and spelling skills in their writing.
• Targets in support plans for pupils facing barriers to learning lack precision, limiting how closely provision focuses on achievement.

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 Rockcliffe CofE School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.3% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Rockcliffe 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 Rockcliffe CofE School had 16.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.3% 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, 33.0% of pupils at Rockcliffe CofE School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.2% 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 Rockcliffe CofE School received £8,257 and spent £8,420 for each of its 112 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £1,000 (-£10 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 Rockcliffe CofE School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rockcliffe CofE School is Needs attention, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Rockcliffe CofE School last inspected by Ofsted?

Rockcliffe CofE School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Rockcliffe CofE School have?

Rockcliffe CofE School has 115 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rockcliffe CofE School cover?

Rockcliffe CofE School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Rockcliffe CofE School?

Rockcliffe CofE School is at Rockcliffe, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA6 4AA.