Derwent Vale Primary and Nursery School, Workington
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Derwent Vale creates a welcoming, caring environment where children are excited to learn and want to do their best. Staff expertly teach the skills children need to succeed, from early letter formation through to reading fluency. The school also prioritises whole-child development, teaching pupils about respect, diversity, healthy relationships, and how to stay safe both offline and online.
Key Strengths
- Positive relationships between staff and pupils create a caring learning environment
- Strong teaching of fundamental skills in English and mathematics from the early years
- Ambitious and coherent curriculum with good subject-specific vocabulary use
- Excellent behaviour management with disruption to learning extremely rare
- Comprehensive personal development programme including online safety, healthy relationships, and mental health
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent expectations for how pupils record their learning across the curriculum means they don't always explain their understanding clearly
- Year 6 reading attainment was slightly below national average in 2024
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Cycling to school, sports activities, educational visits linked to curriculum subjects, governor meetings with pupils
Derwent Vale is a thriving and happy primary school with a very strong sense of community where pupils demonstrate a genuine love for learning. The school has maintained good standards and continues to provide an ambitious curriculum with high expectations for all pupils.
At a Glance
39.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
36 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 65% to 83%. Maths has remained stable at around 75%. Writing has improved from 76% to 92%.
Class Sizes
21.8
Avg class size
25.0
Infant (KS1)
24.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
89%
Available places
93 pupils
105 capacity
12 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Workington
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Workington
Admissions Demand - Cumberland
Places available
3,571
Applications
2,437
Got 1st preference
98.5%
Got preferred school
99.7%
Primary admissions across Cumberland (2025/26)
Inspection History(8)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.12021%
Overall absence
17.33333%
Persistent absence
75
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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