Brook Street Primary School, Carlisle

Ofsted's report card from its 28 April 2026 inspection grades Brook Street Primary School on 7 areas: 5 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders promote positive attendance and act quickly when concerns arise."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the curriculum."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders understand the barriers that many pupils face and act promptly to reduce them."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and the areas that need further improvement."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils benefit from a clear and well-organised programme of personal development that extends beyond the classroom."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Some pupils do not secure the foundations of knowledge they need, especially in writing and mathematics."

Early years - Needs attention. "The early years curriculum is not taught consistently well."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that staff interactions with children in the early years are purposeful, in order to help children develop secure vocabulary and language skills"; "Leaders should ensure that older pupils secure the foundations in writing skills, including handwriting, sentence construction and spelling, so that they write with accuracy and fluency"; "Leaders should ensure that actions taken to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are closely matched to their needs, enabling them to fully benefit from the curriculum".

In its own words: "Brook Street School is committed to ensuring that the pupils who are taught here are provided with a broad and balanced curriculum. One which prepares them for their next stage of education, their future adult life in modern Britain and becoming a valued citizen of our ever changing society."

From the headteacher's welcome: "I am very proud of our school. Every member of the school community makes a huge contribution to our success as a center of learning. Our wonderful teachers and teaching assistants, the support staff and of course the brilliant children who make our school such a wonderful place to learn and work."

The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care, from £5 per session.

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Brook Street Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 60% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Cumberland and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 50% in reading and 50% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 22 families put Brook Street Primary School as their first choice and 37 named it as one of their preferences, for 22 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Brook Street Primary School are Norman Street Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 74% reading, 65% maths); The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided) (0.6 miles, Good, 61% reading, 52% maths); St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Carlisle (0.7 miles, 80% reading, 75% maths); and Robert Ferguson Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 62% reading, 60% maths).

Brook Street Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

75.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Black (22%), White British (20%) and Asian (18%).

The nearest railway station is Carlisle Rail Station, about 760 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Doctors Surgery (outside), 110 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Brook Street Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 474 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cumberland (22), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Brook Street Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Brook Street Primary School are Richard Rose Central Academy (0.5 miles), Trinity School (0.7 miles) and St John Henry Newman Catholic School (1.1 miles).