Arnside National CofE School

Arnside National CofE School has made commendable progress since its previous inspection, moving from requiring improvement to achieving a good rating in overall effectiveness. The school has implemented a broad and ambitious curriculum that allows all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to achieve well. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong, fostering a happy and secure environment that encourages diligent work and attendance. The school integrates various extracurricular activities and cultural experiences that enhance pupils' social and personal development, preparing them well for life in British society.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils create a positive school environment.
• An exciting and ambitious curriculum spanning a wide range of subjects.
• Effective strategies in place for identifying and supporting pupils with SEND.
• Pupils display positive behaviour and attendance, contributing to a calm learning environment.
• Reading is placed at the heart of the curriculum, fostering a love for literature.
• Opportunities for pupils to engage with the community and learn about cultural diversity.

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, the curriculum lacks clear opportunities for pupils to connect new and earlier learning.

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 Arnside National CofE School attended 97.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.4% 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 Arnside National 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 Arnside National CofE School had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.1% 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, 10.5% of pupils at Arnside National CofE School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% 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 2024–25 Arnside National CofE School received £7,830 and spent £7,830 for each of its 106 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £111,000 (£1,047 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 Carnforth · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications

What is Arnside National CofE School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Arnside National CofE School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Arnside National CofE School last inspected by Ofsted?

Arnside National CofE School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Arnside National CofE School have?

Arnside National CofE School has 95 pupils on roll.

What age range does Arnside National CofE School cover?

Arnside National CofE School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Arnside National CofE School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Arnside National CofE School?

Arnside National CofE School is at Church Hill, Arnside, Carnforth, Lancashire, LA5 0DW.