Caldew Lea School

Caldew Lea School has been rated as 'Good' overall, demonstrating notable strengths particularly in behavior and personal development, which are categorized as 'Outstanding'. The school boasts a committed staff that fosters a positive and inclusive environment, encouraging pupils to achieve well despite some challenges with student transitions during key stage 2. Notably, this inspection marks the first routine evaluation since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of that disruption is acknowledged in the report. The school operates under the Cumbria Education Trust, contributing to its resources and support systems.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate kindness and respect towards each other and staff.
• High expectations are set for pupil achievement, fostering growth in confidence.
• A rich variety of extracurricular activities enhances wider pupil development.
• Strong support for pupils with SEND ensures access to the curriculum.
• Pupils show motivation and work well together in lessons.
• A comprehensive personal development program equips pupils with essential life skills.
• Staff are well-supported and take pride in their work.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects have newly implemented curriculums that lack depth in pupil understanding.

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 Lea School attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.7% 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, 0.4% of pupils at Caldew Lea 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 Caldew Lea School had 18.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.3% 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, 5.5% of pupils at Caldew Lea School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.5% 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 Caldew Lea School received £8,239 and spent £7,146 for each of its 258 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £436,000 (£1,690 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

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

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

What is Caldew Lea School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Caldew Lea School is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Caldew Lea School last inspected by Ofsted?

Caldew Lea School was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Caldew Lea School have?

Caldew Lea School has 273 pupils on roll.

What age range does Caldew Lea School cover?

Caldew Lea School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Caldew Lea School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Caldew Lea School?

Caldew Lea School is at Ashley Street, Caldew Lea School, Ashley St, Carlisle, Ca2 7be, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA2 7BE.