Threlkeld CofE Primary School

Threlkeld C of E Primary is a small, calm and nurturing school where pupils feel valued, behave well and have positive relationships with staff and each other. Reading is a clear strength: it is prioritised from the early years, the phonics programme is delivered consistently, and pupils who struggle receive effective support. Pupils also benefit from a broad personal development offer, including extra-curricular activities and community contributions, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. However, the school is not yet delivering the curriculum consistently well across all subjects. Staff do not always build securely on pupils’ prior knowledge, particularly in mixed-aged classes, and assessment is not precise enough in several subjects to identify and address gaps. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have not always had their needs identified and met quickly enough, although new systems are being developed with trust support. The school has experienced considerable leadership and staffing turbulence since its previous inspection, which slowed improvement work. Leaders, governors and the trust are committed to stabilising the school and have clear plans to address the remaining weaknesses, but many recent changes are not yet fully embedded.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud to attend a calm and nurturing school.
• Pupils have positive, caring relationships with staff and each other.
• Pupils behave well and consistently uphold the school’s values.
• Children in the early years and pupils in some subjects achieve well.
• Reading is prioritised and the phonics programme is delivered consistently well.
• Pupils who struggle with reading gain confidence and fluency quickly.
• Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and work hard in lessons.
• The school takes effective action to support regular attendance.
• The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is broad and reflects pupils’ needs.
• Pupils develop a strong understanding of fundamental British values and celebrate diversity.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Trustees and governors are committed to improving the school and bringing stability.

Areas for Improvement

• The curriculum is not implemented consistently, so pupils do not build and retain knowledge securely across all subjects.
• Staff do not consistently build on all pupils’ prior knowledge within mixed-aged classes.
• Activity choices are not always effective in helping pupils learn and remember what they have been taught.
• Assessment is not used precisely enough in several subjects to identify gaps in pupils’ learning.
• Pupils, including those with SEND, develop gaps in their knowledge because assessment and support are not sufficiently precise.
• Systems for identifying and supporting pupils with SEND have not been rigorous enough and are not yet fully embedded.
• Leadership and staffing turbulence has slowed improvement work.
• Many recent changes to improve learning are new and not fully implemented.

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 Threlkeld CofE Primary School attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.9% 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 Threlkeld CofE 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 Threlkeld CofE Primary School had 12.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 55.6% 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, 9.8% of pupils at Threlkeld CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.0% 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 Threlkeld CofE Primary School received £10,795 and spent £11,447 for each of its 44 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £63,000 (£1,441 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of The Good Shepherd Multi Academy Trust, income was £9,527 and spending £9,193 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.

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All schools in Keswick · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications

Threlkeld CofE Primary School is part of The Good Shepherd Multi Academy Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Braithwaite CofE Primary School Keswick
• Lorton School Cockermouth
• All Saints' CofE School Cockermouth
• Ambleside CofE Primary School Ambleside
• Dean CofE School Workington
• Wreay Church of England Primary School Carlisle
• Kirkland Church of England Academy Frizington
• Lazonby C of E Primary School Penrith
• Ellenborough Academy Maryport
• Penny Bridge CofE School Ulverston

What is Threlkeld CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Threlkeld CofE Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Threlkeld CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Threlkeld CofE Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Threlkeld CofE Primary School have?

Threlkeld CofE Primary School has 41 pupils on roll.

What age range does Threlkeld CofE Primary School cover?

Threlkeld CofE Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 33% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Threlkeld CofE Primary School?

Threlkeld CofE Primary School is at Blease Road, Threlkeld, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 4RX.