Bookwell Primary School, Egremont
Bookwell Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Egremont. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 23rd-highest of the 112 schools in Cumberland with published results, and 3,408th of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Bookwell Primary School in detail
Bookwell Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "As Headteacher, I am immensely proud of our Outstanding School which provides so much for our pupils. We are a happy, safe and caring school where every child is valued. This is due to the outstanding relationships between our school community; pupils, staff, parents and governors."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Bookwell Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Cumberland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (90% in reading, 79% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Bookwell Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 27 families put Bookwell Primary School as their first choice and 62 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Bookwell Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bookwell Primary School are St Bridget's Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 77% reading, 73% maths); Orgill Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 63% reading, 59% maths); Thornhill Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths); and Beckermet CofE School (2.3 miles, Good, 90% reading, 60% maths).
Bookwell Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
St Bridget's Catholic Primary SchoolOrgill Primary SchoolThornhill Primary SchoolBeckermet CofE School
Who goes there
11.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 20 pupils (10.3%) received SEN support and 6 (3.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Nethertown Rail Station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Blue Bell Hotel (outside), 260 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 36 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and other crime. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cumberland (22), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bookwell Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 2.6 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; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils thrive at this welcoming and friendly school. The school's belief that every pupil matters resonates throughout the school. Staff ensure that pupils are happy and that they are excited by their learning and the wider experiences afforded to them. Pupils behave exceptionally well. They take great care of one another. Older pupils have immense pride in being positive role models for their younger peers.
The school has exceptionally high expectations for pupils' achievement. Pupils rise to these and have excellent attitudes to learning. They are enthusiastic, motivated and keen to do well. Pupils achieve highly and are extremely well prepared for their next stage of education.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed a broad, rich and ambitious curriculum. It has carefully identified the small steps of learning that pupils should acquire from the beginning of the early years to the end of Year 6. The curriculum is innovative, creative and constructed to include many references to the local area. It meets the needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), exceptionally well. The additional needs of pupils with SEND are identified early. Staff are adept at supporting these pupils. They adapt curriculum delivery effectively to meet pupils' individual needs.
Teachers are highly skilled at delivering the curriculum consistently well across the school. They have the knowledge and expertise to help pupils to acquire a deep body of knowledge over time. Teachers promote rich discussions about subject content. They check what pupils know and can remember, quickly identifying and addressing any misconceptions in pupils' learning. Learning activities, resources and the environment help pupils to learn the ambitious curriculum extremely well. This is reflected in the school's published outcomes.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
11.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 79% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 86% to 97% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.7
Avg class size
24.0
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Bookwell Primary School
Newsletter 2nd October 2026
2 Oct 2026
Friday 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
Newsletter 10th July 2026
10 Jul 2026
Newsletter 3rd July 2026
3 Jul 2026
Newsletter 1st May 2026
1 May 2026
Newsletter 6th Mar 2026
6 Mar 2026
From Bookwell Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Bookwell Primary School
Term dates
Bookwell Primary 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)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bookwell Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bookwell Primary 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)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 10 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 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 Bookwell Primary School
Will you get a place at Bookwell Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bookwell Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bookwell Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bookwell Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bookwell Primary School for 2014 to 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
92%
Near capacity
194 pupils
210 places
16 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Egremont
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Egremont
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(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
20
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
13.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
194
Total Pupils
103
Boys
91
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
19.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,667
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,398
Per pupil
£1142k
Total funding
£36k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.4%
Overall absence
4.4%
Persistent absence
182
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
Bookwell Primary School
Questions parents ask about Bookwell Primary School
What are SATs results like at Bookwell Primary School?
Of the pupils at Bookwell Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Bookwell Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Bookwell Primary School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024.
What is the catchment area for Bookwell Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Bookwell Primary 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 Bookwell Primary School?
Bookwell Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Bookwell Primary School?
Classes at Bookwell Primary School average 27.7 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Bookwell Primary School?
Bookwell Primary School has around 194 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bookwell Primary School?
3.4% of sessions were missed at Bookwell Primary School in 2024/25. 4.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bookwell Primary School?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Bookwell 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 Bookwell Primary School's term dates?
Bookwell Primary 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 Bookwell Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 10 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bookwell Primary School?
Bookwell Primary School is at Bookwell, Egremont, Cumbria, CA22 2LT.
Sources: Cumberland term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)