Cartmel Priory CofE School, Grange-over-Sands

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades Cartmel Priory CofE School on 6 areas: 2 strong standard, 2 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 - Strong standard. "Promoting attendance is a priority for pupils and staff."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have designed a personal development curriculum that is coherent and age-appropriate."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils typically achieve well."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of strengths and areas for improvement in the school."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have established a curriculum that supports pupils to build on their existing knowledge."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Although leaders take actions to identify and reduce pupils' barriers to learning, the impact of this work is inconsistent."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that staff have the knowledge and expertise they need to employ strategies which reduce pupils' barriers to learning effectively and consistently across the curriculum"; "Leaders should ensure teachers use assessment consistently well across the curriculum so any gaps and misconceptions in pupils' knowledge are closed swiftly, and necessary adjustments can be made".

In 2026, pupils at Cartmel Priory CofE School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.8 in Westmorland and Furness and 47 across England.

46% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Westmorland and Furness and 47% in England.

That is up from 47.2 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.08: pupils made about average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Geography and History.

For September 2026 entry, 63 families put Cartmel Priory CofE School as their first choice and 91 named it as one of their preferences, for 64 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Cartmel Priory CofE School is run by its own single-school academy trust.

Of the 71 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 52% to a further education college, 11% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

14.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 37 pupils (10%) received SEN support and 23 (6.2%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Priory C of E School (outside), 50 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 4 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences and other crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Westmorland and Furness (11).

In 2024/25, Cartmel Priory CofE School issued 15 suspensions, 4.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Cartmel Priory CofE School are Cartmel CofE Primary School (0.2 miles), Allithwaite CofE Primary School (1.1 miles) and Grange CofE Primary School (1.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.