Sign up free
Skip to main content

Schools across Cumberland

Local authority · 179 schools across 22 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Cumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Cumberland →

Schools in Cumberland (179)

Showing 20 of 179 schools

Total Schools

179

145 primary · 19 secondary

Total Pupils

39,238

87% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

56

3 outstanding · 53 good

Capacity

45,336

6,098 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

53
121
Outstanding: 3
Good: 53
Requires Improvement: 2
Not inspected: 121

Best Schools in Cumberland

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

36.8

GCSE Eng+Maths

27.7%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

83% full
21,014 pupils25,388 capacity

4,374 spare places

Secondary Schools

91% full
16,890 pupils18,471 capacity

1,581 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

5.3%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

11.7%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

165

2024/25

Absence trend across Cumberland schools

4.4%
18/19
3.2%
20/21
6.8%
21/22
6.6%
22/23
5.8%
23/24
5.3%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

7%

Plans Issued

286

Assessment Requests

673

Tribunal Cases

3

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

27%
2023
42%
2024
7%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

3,514 admissions

13

Lodged

(0.4%)

7

Heard

3

Successful

(43%)

Primary (infant classes)

2,728 admissions

9

Lodged

(0.3%)

5

Heard

2

Successful

(40%)

Secondary

3,415 admissions

68

Lodged

(2.0%)

49

Heard

22

Successful

(45%)

Total

6,929 admissions

81

Lodged

(1.2%)

56

Heard

25

Successful

(45%)

Total appeals lodged per year

100
2024
198
2025
171
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Cumberland

Carlisle

51 schools

Workington

22 schools

Wigton

21 schools

Whitehaven

17 schools

Maryport

13 schools

Brampton

10 schools

Cockermouth

8 schools

Millom

8 schools

Keswick

6 schools

Egremont

5 schools

Frizington

4 schools

Cleator Moor

3 schools

Seascale

2 schools

CARLISLE

1 schools

millom

1 schools

ST BEES

1 schools

FRIZINGTON

1 schools

Beckermet

1 schools

Holmrook

1 schools

St Bees

1 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Cumberland

How many schools are there in Cumberland?

Cumberland has 179 open schools: 145 state primary, 19 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 6 special and 7 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Cumberland are rated Outstanding?

14 schools in Cumberland were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Bookwell Primary School, Lanercost CofE Primary School, Keswick School, Ashfield Infant & Nursery School, Silloth Primary School and 9 more. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 164 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Bookwell Primary SchoolLanercost CofE Primary SchoolKeswick SchoolAshfield Infant & Nursery SchoolSilloth Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Cumberland get the best GCSE results?

Of the 20 schools in Cumberland with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Keswick School, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.9 and 55% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Cockermouth School, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.9 and 47% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and St Benedict's Catholic High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 43.8 and 40% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Keswick SchoolCockermouth SchoolSt Benedict's Catholic High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Cumberland have the best SATs results?

Of the 111 primary schools in Cumberland with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Rosley CofE School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Wiggonby CofE School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); and Lanercost CofE Primary School (91% in reading, 100% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Rosley CofE SchoolWiggonby CofE SchoolLanercost CofE Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Cumberland?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Cumberland selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Cumberland have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Cumberland have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Cumberland allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Cumberland?

Apply to Cumberland through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables