Coniston CofE Primary School

Coniston CofE Primary School continues to maintain a good standard of education, characterized by a caring and supportive environment that fosters positive relationships among pupils and staff. Leaders uphold high expectations for student achievements across a broad curriculum while creating a family-like atmosphere that encourages pupil participation in the school community. The school has successfully adapted its approach to reading, ensuring early phonics instruction and fostering a love of reading among older students. Overall, the school is viewed as a happy place that works effectively to meet the needs of its pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy positive and nurturing relationships at the school.
• Leaders have high expectations of pupils' achievements.
• Curriculum is broad, ambitious, and well-sequenced.
• Strong support and adaptations for pupils with SEND.
• Effective prioritization of reading and phonics instruction.
• Pupils demonstrate politeness and good manners.
• Varied personal development opportunities including trips and cultural experiences.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects lack clarity on curriculum intentions and assessments.
• Teachers do not consistently check for missing or insecure knowledge across all 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 Coniston CofE Primary School attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.1% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Coniston 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 Coniston CofE Primary School had 14.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 23.9% of pupils at Coniston CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.5% 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 Coniston CofE Primary School received £9,839 and spent £10,709 for each of its 66 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £15,000 (£234 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 Coniston CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Coniston CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Coniston CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Coniston CofE Primary School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Coniston CofE Primary School have?

Coniston CofE Primary School has 67 pupils on roll.

What age range does Coniston CofE Primary School cover?

Coniston CofE Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 27% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Coniston CofE Primary School?

Coniston CofE Primary School is at Shepherd's Bridge, Coniston, Cumbria, LA21 8AL.