Distington Community School

Distington Community School is performing well overall, having improved significantly since its last inspection. The school provides a safe and supportive environment where pupils feel valued and take pride in their education. With a strong focus on reading and a well-designed curriculum that enables pupils to build their skills effectively, the school prepares students well for secondary education. Leaders and staff are committed to ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, receive the support they need to succeed.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and well cared for.
• Teachers have high expectations and support pupils in achieving their best.
• Strong focus on developing reading skills across all age groups.
• Curriculum is well-planned and helps students build knowledge progressively.
• Behaviour is generally good, with pupils showing respect and care for one another.
• Effective early years provision that prepares children well for Year 1.

Areas for Improvement

• Minor inconsistencies in the sequencing of learning in some subjects.
• Occasional loss of concentration among younger pupils during phonics lessons due to pacing issues.

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 Distington Community School attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.1% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Distington Community 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 Distington Community School had 22.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 55.9% 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, 2.6% of pupils at Distington Community School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.1% 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 Distington Community School received £9,064 and spent £9,374 for each of its 114 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £6,000 (£56 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 Workington · Cumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Distington Community School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Distington Community School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Distington Community School last inspected by Ofsted?

Distington Community School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Distington Community School have?

Distington Community School has 114 pupils on roll.

What age range does Distington Community School cover?

Distington Community School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Distington Community School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 9% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Distington Community School?

Distington Community School is at Church Road, Distington, Church Rd, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 5TE.