Castle Park School

Castle Park School is a caring primary school where pupils have a strong sense of belonging and typically achieve well. Inspectors found a broad, well-sequenced curriculum that starts with two-year-olds and gives most pupils a solid foundation; reading is a particular priority, with high-quality texts, consistent phonics teaching and effective support for pupils who struggle. Pupils behave well, are respectful and benefit from a wide range of enrichment and leadership opportunities. Support for pupils with SEND is a notable strength, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. However, the school has not done enough to develop pupils’ written and spoken communication skills, which limits fluency and accuracy for some. In some lessons, staff do not check pupils’ understanding closely enough, so errors and misunderstandings can go unchecked and be repeated. These are the main areas for improvement. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first since a new headteacher and governance changes; it is part of Kendal Primary Multi Academy Trust and includes early years provision from age two. The trust and local governors work closely with the school, and staff value the collegiate support for improving practice.

Strengths

• Caring, inclusive community with a strong sense of belonging for pupils
• Pupils are highly respectful of differences and behave well in lessons and social times
• Broad and balanced curriculum with clearly identified knowledge and sequencing
• Two-year-old children make a flying start to their early education
• Most pupils achieve well and can recall and connect their learning
• Reading is a high priority, supported by quality texts and consistent phonics teaching
• Targeted reading support helps pupils who struggle to learn to read well
• Tenacious identification and effective support for pupils with SEND
• Nurturing staff relationships and a calm, courteous school atmosphere
• Strong personal development offer, including leadership roles, enrichment and charity work
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Supportive trust and governance with useful staff training and coaching

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils’ written and spoken communication skills are not developed sufficiently, limiting fluency and accuracy
• Staff do not always check pupils’ understanding precisely enough, so errors and misunderstandings go unaddressed
• Some pupils repeat mistakes in later work because misconceptions are not corrected promptly

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 Castle Park School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.9% 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 Castle Park 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 Castle Park School had 21.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.4% 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, 11.0% of pupils at Castle Park School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.6% 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 2023–24 Castle Park School received £6,065 and spent £6,248 for each of its 307 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £83,000 (£270 per pupil).

Across all 17 schools of Cumbria Education Trust, income was £7,378 and spending £7,518 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 Kendal · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications

Castle Park School is part of Cumbria Education Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• Stramongate Primary School Kendal
• The Queen Katherine School Kendal
• Tebay Primary School Penrith
• Kirkby Stephen Grammar School Kirkby Stephen
• Yanwath Primary School Penrith
• The Whitehaven Academy Whitehaven
• Hensingham Primary School Whitehaven
• Petteril Bank School Carlisle
• Castle Carrock School Brampton
• Workington Academy Workington

What is Castle Park School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Castle Park School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Castle Park School last inspected by Ofsted?

Castle Park School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Castle Park School have?

Castle Park School has 326 pupils on roll.

What age range does Castle Park School cover?

Castle Park School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Castle Park School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Castle Park School?

Castle Park School is at Sedbergh Drive, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 6BE.