Leven Valley CofE Primary School

Leven Valley CofE Primary School is a small, happy and inclusive Church of England primary where positive relationships and a calm ethos are central. Inspectors found the school to be good across all key judgements: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and under current arrangements no overall effectiveness grade was given. The school offers an ambitious, broad curriculum shaped by its local context and adapted well for mixed-age classes. Pupils build secure knowledge, behave well, attend regularly and benefit from a strong wider development programme including outdoor learning, trips, residentials, clubs and community activities. Early years provision is effective, pupils with SEND are identified accurately and supported well, and governance and staff wellbeing are strengths. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is phonics support for pupils who fall behind. While phonics teaching is consistent from Reception, the additional help is not precise enough in addressing pupils' specific gaps, which can delay their catch-up and reading fluency. Overall, the school is performing well and is well placed to build on its strengths.

Strengths

• Happy, calm and inclusive school with positive relationships and respectful pupils
• Ambitious, broad curriculum tailored to the local context and mixed-age classes
• Pupils build secure knowledge and progress well across subjects
• Effective early years provision that builds on children's knowledge and skills
• Accurate identification and effective support for pupils with SEND
• Consistent phonics teaching from Reception and a strong reading culture
• High attendance and good behaviour, with pupils engaged and attentive
• Rich wider development through outdoor learning, trips, clubs and community activities
• Pupils take on responsibilities and are well prepared for secondary school
• Strong governance and positive partnerships that support staff workload and wellbeing
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Support for pupils falling behind in phonics is not sharply focused on their precise gaps, slowing catch-up and reading fluency

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 Leven Valley CofE Primary School attended 97.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 0.0% 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 Leven Valley 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 Leven Valley CofE Primary School had 20.4 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, 4.4% of pupils at Leven Valley CofE Primary 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 Leven Valley CofE Primary School received £8,372 and spent £7,902 for each of its 68 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £68,000 (£1,001 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 Ulverston · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications

What is Leven Valley CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Leven Valley CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Leven Valley CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Leven Valley CofE Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Leven Valley CofE Primary School have?

Leven Valley CofE Primary School has 68 pupils on roll.

What age range does Leven Valley CofE Primary School cover?

Leven Valley CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Leven Valley CofE Primary School?

Leven Valley CofE Primary School is at Backbarrow, Leven Valley Ce Primary School, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 8QF.