Caldew School

Caldew School is a 990-pupil secondary school and single-academy trust, where the headteacher also acts as chief executive officer. Following a full inspection in September 2026, inspectors found the school meeting the expected standard in every judged area, with safeguarding standards met. Pupils describe an inclusive, friendly and caring school where they feel safe and part of a community, and inspectors found behaviour calm, relationships strong and support for pupils with SEND and vulnerable pupils effective. The curriculum is broad, ambitious and generally well delivered, and teachers have detailed subject knowledge. Leadership is a notable strength: leaders understand the school well, trustees provide effective support and challenge, staff morale is high, and careers education, enrichment and the inclusive sixth form are strong. Attendance is broadly in line with national averages, and attendance for pupils with SEND was above national averages last year. There are still areas to develop. Teaching quality is occasionally variable, and leaders want greater consistency in the quality of work and more opportunities for pupils and students to deepen their knowledge. Persistent absence remains a barrier for some disadvantaged pupils, pupils' knowledge of some fundamental British values and protected characteristics is less developed, and sixth-form attainment has varied between subjects and qualification types. Overall, the school is securely meeting expectations and is well led, with clear capacity to improve further.

Strengths

• Inclusive, friendly and caring culture where pupils feel safe and belong
• Calm and orderly atmosphere with high expectations and well-established routines
• Strong relationships between staff and pupils, with pupils typically polite and respectful
• Bullying and derogatory language are uncommon and dealt with quickly
• Broad, ambitious and well-designed curriculum that builds on prior learning
• Teachers have detailed subject knowledge and use questioning effectively to check understanding
• Effective support for pupils with SEND, including the specialist resource provision for autism
• Strong support for vulnerable pupils and pupils known to children's social care
• Disadvantaged pupils are well supported and their attainment has improved
• Leaders have a crystal-clear understanding of strengths and areas for development
• Trustees provide effective support and challenge and ensure statutory duties are met
• High staff morale, with strong professional development, coaching and attention to workload
• High-quality careers education and productive links with employers, universities and apprenticeship providers
• Wide enrichment offer including clubs, trips, sports, Duke of Edinburgh and debating
• Personal development programme promotes safety, online awareness and respect for differences
• Inclusive sixth form with appropriate academic and vocational pathways and good destinations
• Sixth-form careers information, advice and guidance are a particular strength
• Sixth-form students are mature role models and take on leadership roles
• Attendance is broadly in line with national averages, with SEND attendance above national last year
• Additional funding and alternative provision are used appropriately with clear oversight

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching quality is occasionally variable, and strategies are not always adapted well enough to deepen pupils' learning
• Leaders need to secure greater consistency in the quality of work and provide more opportunities to deepen knowledge across the curriculum
• Persistent absence remains a barrier for some disadvantaged pupils and limits their success
• Pupils' knowledge of some fundamental British values and protected characteristics is less developed than it could be
• Sixth-form attainment has varied between subjects and qualification types, and A-level average point scores have been below national averages in recent years

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 Caldew School attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 6.4% of pupils at Caldew School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Caldew School had 16.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 14.9% of pupils at Caldew School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 10 pupils.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Caldew School received £7,976 and spent £7,711 for each of its 992 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £633,000 (£638 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Carlisle · Cumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Caldew School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Caldew School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Caldew School last inspected by Ofsted?

Caldew School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Caldew School have?

Caldew School has 990 pupils on roll.

What age range does Caldew School cover?

Caldew School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Caldew School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.5, and 23% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Caldew School?

Caldew School is at Dalston, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 7NN.