Bewcastle School, Carlisle
Bewcastle School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Carlisle. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023. It was 25% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- 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 Cumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bewcastle School in detail
Bewcastle School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Bewcastle Primary School. Our school is small and friendly - we currently have 20 pupils on roll. We are situated near the Scottish border, with open country all around. We have excellent facilities, with a well-maintained building, extensive grounds and our own community swimming pool , which is open throughout the summer."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Bewcastle School
For September 2026 entry, 2 families put Bewcastle School as their first choice, for 2 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Who goes there
0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Bewcastle School had 4 teachers in 2026, one for every 4 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cumberland (22).
Suspensions and exclusions
Bewcastle School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
31.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
6.3
Avg class size
5.0
Infant (KS1)
9.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby primary schools
Latest from Bewcastle School
From Bewcastle School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Bewcastle School
Before and after school care
Bewcastle School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Cumberland
Term dates
Bewcastle School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Cumberland. 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)
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bewcastle School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bewcastle School is in Cumberland; for families living there:
- Cumberland's school travel policy: Step by step guide of the Home to School Travel Assistance Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 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 Bewcastle School
Will you get a place at Bewcastle School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bewcastle School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bewcastle School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bewcastle School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bewcastle School for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cumberland 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
25%
Available places
14 pupils
56 places
42 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Carlisle
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Carlisle
Across Cumberland council
Places available
3,537
Applications
2,352
Got 1st preference
98.2%
Got preferred school
99.7%
All primary applications across Cumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(10)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
3
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
21.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
19
Total Pupils
11
Boys
8
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
4.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,214
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£22,034
Per pupil
£290k
Total funding
£8k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
15.4%
Persistent absence
13
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Bewcastle School
What is Bewcastle School's Ofsted rating?
Bewcastle School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023.
What is the catchment area for Bewcastle School?
No fixed boundary. When Bewcastle School is oversubscribed, Cumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Bewcastle School?
Bewcastle School was not full in 2025: it ran at 25% of its 56 places.
How big are the classes at Bewcastle School?
Classes at Bewcastle School average 6.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Bewcastle School?
Bewcastle School has around 19 pupils on roll. 32% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bewcastle School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at Bewcastle School in 2024/25. 15.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bewcastle School?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Bewcastle 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.
Does Bewcastle School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Bewcastle School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
What are Bewcastle School's term dates?
Bewcastle School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Cumberland. 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 Bewcastle School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bewcastle School?
Bewcastle School is at Roadhead, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA6 6PF.
Sources: Cumberland term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)