Alston Primary School, Alston
Alston Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Alston. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 66th-highest of the 98 schools in Westmorland and Furness with published results, and 10,716th of 14,452 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Westmorland and Furness (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Alston Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at Alston Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 69% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Westmorland and Furness and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 58% in reading and 50% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Alston Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put Alston Primary School as their first choice, for 10 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Alston Primary School
What parents say
26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Alston Primary School (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (89%).
Who goes there
1.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Alston Primary School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Alston (South Tynedale Railway), about 410 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hendersons Garage (outside), 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Alston Primary School issued 35 suspensions, 40.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Alston Primary School excels at creating a nurturing environment where every child feels valued and known by staff. The school provides exciting learning experiences and enrichment opportunities that many rural pupils might not otherwise access, from wheelchair basketball to music studios. Reading is taught particularly well with staff who inspire a love of books, supported by swift and effective help for any pupil who falls behind.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with early phonics teaching and swift support for struggling readers
- Broad range of enrichment activities including sports, music, and community involvement
- Effective support for pupils with SEND and smooth transitions into the school
- High attendance rates with proactive monitoring and family support
- Positive behaviour and a caring school culture where all pupils feel welcome
Areas for Improvement
- Essential knowledge in some subjects is not clearly defined, leading to gaps in pupil learning that don't build securely over time
- Checks on learning in some subjects are not precise enough to identify gaps quickly
- Need to strengthen assessment processes across all subjects to better track pupil progress
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Football, choir, computing, dance, wheelchair basketball, music lessons, school production performances, tree planting, Remembrance Day events
Alston Primary School is a small, happy school where pupils feel a strong sense of belonging and learn in a calm, caring environment. The school has a broad, ambitious curriculum that reflects high expectations for pupil achievement.
At a Glance
18.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
26 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 58% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 50% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 42% to 69% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby primary school
Keep up with Alston Primary School
Term dates
Alston Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Westmorland and Furness. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Friday 16 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Wednesday 5 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Thursday 20 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Alston Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Alston Primary School is in Westmorland and Furness; for families living there:
- Westmorland and Furness's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy 2027 to 2028 (Reception to Year 11)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Alston Primary School
Will you get a place at Alston Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Alston Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Alston Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Alston Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Westmorland and Furness, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Alston Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Westmorland and Furness got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
86%
Available places
90 pupils
105 places
15 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Alston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Alston
Across Westmorland and Furness council
Places available
2,590
Applications
1,692
Got 1st preference
96.1%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across Westmorland and Furness council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
12
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
19.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
88
Total Pupils
36
Boys
52
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
14.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£41,364
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,802
Per pupil
£662k
Total funding
£23k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
3.9%
Persistent absence
77
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Alston Primary School
Questions parents ask about Alston Primary School
What are SATs results like at Alston Primary School?
Of the pupils at Alston Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 69% did so in maths.
What is Alston Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Alston Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Alston Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Alston Primary School is oversubscribed, Westmorland and Furness allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Alston Primary School?
Alston Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 105 places.
How many pupils go to Alston Primary School?
Alston Primary School has around 88 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Alston Primary School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at Alston Primary School in 2024/25. 3.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Alston Primary School?
Apply through Westmorland and Furness's coordinated admissions process, naming Alston Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
What are Alston Primary School's term dates?
Alston Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Westmorland and Furness. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Friday 16 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Wednesday 5 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Thursday 20 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Alston Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Alston Primary School?
Alston Primary School is at Church Road, Alston, CA9 3QU.
Sources: Westmorland and Furness term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)