Longtown Primary School

Longtown Primary School shows signs of significant improvement since its previous inspection, with strong positive relationships between staff and pupils creating a nurturing environment. The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, ensuring pupils, including those with SEND, achieve highly and are well-prepared for their next learning stage. However, there is a noted discrepancy between the school's strong performance indicators and the actual published outcomes, which were below the national average in key subjects at the end of Year 6.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum
• High achievement levels among pupils
• Effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
• Nurturing school environment
• Impressive range of enrichment activities
• Well-trained staff with deep subject knowledge
• Positive relationships with parents and carers

Areas for Improvement

• End of Year 6 attainment in reading, writing, and mathematics was below national average
• Recent published outcomes do not reflect the school's improved performance

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 Longtown Primary School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.1% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Longtown 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 Longtown Primary School had 17.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 32.0% 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, 13.2% of pupils at Longtown Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.9% 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 Longtown Primary School received £6,945 and spent £6,795 for each of its 197 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £73,000 (£370 per pupil).

Across all 17 schools of Cumbria Education Trust, income was £7,121 and spending £7,168 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

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

• Newtown Primary School Carlisle
• Caldew Lea School Carlisle
• Yewdale School Carlisle
• Petteril Bank School Carlisle
• William Howard School Brampton
• Castle Carrock School Brampton
• Yanwath Primary School Penrith
• Northside Primary School Workington
• Workington Academy Workington
• The Whitehaven Academy Whitehaven

What is Longtown Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Longtown Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Longtown Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Longtown Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Longtown Primary School have?

Longtown Primary School has 182 pupils on roll.

What age range does Longtown Primary School cover?

Longtown Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Longtown Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Longtown Primary School?

Longtown Primary School is at Mary Street, Longtown, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA6 5UG.