Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School, Cockermouth
Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Cockermouth. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 7 schools in Cockermouth with published results, and 1,534th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 111% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2011)
- 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
Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School in detail
Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Bridekirk Dovenby School is a busy, and friendly school, with lots going on. Click on the virtual tour and listen to members of the school community explain to you about life at Bridekirk Dovenby School."
The school runs after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Friday 6 November 2026, an open day on Saturday 7 November 2026 and an open day on Monday 9 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Cumberland
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Cumberland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 100% in reading and 87% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School as their first choice and 57 named it as one of their preferences, for 23 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 Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School are Fairfield Primary School (2 miles, Good, 85% reading, 92% maths); All Saints' CofE School (2.3 miles, Good, 45% reading, 42% maths); All Saints' CofE School (2.3 miles); and Broughton Primary School (2.3 miles, Good, 89% reading, 83% maths).
Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Fairfield Primary SchoolAll Saints' CofE SchoolAll Saints' CofE SchoolBroughton Primary School
What parents say
81 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 86% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (86%).
Who goes there
0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (92%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 11 pupils (7.5%) received SEN support and 7 (4.8%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School had 9 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
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School.
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
Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2011, 15 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
This school creates a wonderful environment where children are genuinely happy and proud to attend. Staff provide an impressive range of enriching activities including school leadership roles, community volunteering and charity work that help children become confident and resilient. The school excels at identifying and meeting individual needs, particularly for children with additional needs or reading difficulties, so every child can succeed.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional behaviour, attitudes and personal development - pupils are proud ambassadors with impressive manners and compassion
- Brilliant early years provision with strong staff interactions helping children make an exceptional start
- Inspiring, ambitious and broad curriculum with clear guidance for staff on what to teach and when
- Expert delivery of phonics programme with effective support for pupils who need additional help with reading
- Strong provision for pupils' wider development that prepares them extremely well for life in modern Britain
Areas for Improvement
- Sometimes staff design activities that don't help pupils develop sufficient depth of knowledge in subjects they study
- Occasionally staff miss opportunities to address gaps and misconceptions in pupils' knowledge promptly, meaning some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders and staff creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
News Hounds newsletter production, sports leaders lunchtime activities, school events organisation, charity fundraising, trips to places of worship, theatre visits, residential city visits
Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School is a good quality primary school where pupils thrive and are exceptionally happy. The school has outstanding behaviour, personal development, leadership and early years provision.
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
81 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 declined from 100% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 93% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.3
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
32.0
KS2
3
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 Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School
Newsletter Issue 80 - October 2026
2 Oct 2026
Newsletter Issue 79 - September 2026
25 Sep 2026
Newsletter Issue 78 - September 2026
18 Sep 2026
Newsletter Issue 77 - Sept 26
11 Sep 2026
Newsletter Issue 76 - July 2026
17 Jul 2026
Newsletter Issue 75 - July 2026
10 Jul 2026
From Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School
Term dates
Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School is a voluntary controlled 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 Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bridekirk Dovenby CofE 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)
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 Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bridekirk Dovenby CofE 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 Bridekirk Dovenby CofE 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
111%
Over capacity
132 pupils
119 places
13 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Cockermouth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cockermouth
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
11
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
12.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
146
Total Pupils
76
Boys
70
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
16.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,700
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,299
Per pupil
£746k
Total funding
£2k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.5%
Overall absence
1.6%
Persistent absence
125
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2011, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Bridekirk Dovenby CofE 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 Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School?
Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School was full in 2025, at 111% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School?
Classes at Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School average 29.3 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 Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School?
Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School has around 146 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School?
2.5% of sessions were missed at Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 1.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Bridekirk Dovenby CofE 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 Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School's term dates?
Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School is a voluntary controlled 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 Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary 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 Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School?
Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School is at Dovenby, Cumbria, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 0PG.
Sources: Cumberland term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)