St Matthew's CofE School

St Matthew’s CofE School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across all domains of education provision. Pupils thrive in a nurturing environment where they feel safe and supported, allowing them to engage actively in their learning and school community. The school has successfully implemented a broad curriculum that is well-structured, ensuring that students, including those with SEND, make steady progress. Positive relationships between staff and pupils foster a sense of belonging and enhance behaviour and attitudes throughout the school.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy attending school and feel safe and supported.
• There are positive relationships among pupils and staff.
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious, with clarity on what pupils should learn.
• Effective phonics teaching helps pupils progress successfully.
• The school prioritizes reading, offering a diverse range of books and opportunities.
• Staff adeptly support pupils with SEND, ensuring their needs are met effectively.
• Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and high attendance rates.
• Governance is effective, providing suitable support and challenge for the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Some aspects of newly revised curriculums are not delivered as effectively, impacting pupil knowledge retention.

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 St Matthew's CofE School attended 97.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.3% 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 St Matthew's 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 St Matthew's CofE School had 14.9 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, 13.7% of pupils at St Matthew's CofE School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 St Matthew's CofE School received £9,359 and spent £9,793 for each of its 51 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £10,000 (£196 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 St Matthew's CofE School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Matthew's CofE School is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was St Matthew's CofE School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Matthew's CofE School was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does St Matthew's CofE School have?

St Matthew's CofE School has 51 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Matthew's CofE School cover?

St Matthew's CofE School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Matthew's CofE School?

St Matthew's CofE School is at Westnewton, Wigton, Cumbria, CA7 3NT.