Ghyllside Primary School, Kendal
Ghyllside Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Kendal, part of Ghyllside School. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 13 schools in Kendal with published results, and 3,694th of 14,452 across England. It was 96% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- 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 Westmorland and Furness (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ghyllside Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils at Ghyllside Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Westmorland and Furness and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 77% in reading and 79% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Ghyllside Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 59 families put Ghyllside Primary School as their first choice and 94 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 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 Ghyllside Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ghyllside Primary School are Vicarage Park CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 64% reading, 52% maths); Dean Gibson Catholic Primary School, Kendal (0.4 miles, 88% reading, 81% maths); Stramongate Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 75% reading, 90% maths); and Heron Hill Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 93% reading, 85% maths).
Ghyllside Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Vicarage Park CofE Primary SchoolDean Gibson Catholic Primary School, KendalStramongate Primary SchoolHeron Hill Primary School
The trust
Ghyllside Primary School is run by its own single-school academy trust.
What parents say
184 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ghyllside Primary School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 77% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (77%).
Who goes there
13.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 73 pupils (17.2%) received SEN support and 9 (2.1%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ghyllside Primary School (near), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 122 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Westmorland and Furness (11), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Ghyllside Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Ghyllside Primary School are Kirkbie Kendal School (0.6 miles) and The Queen Katherine School (1.4 miles).
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; 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from April 2014, 12 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 July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Ghyllside Primary School excels at developing well-rounded children through enriching experiences like annual residential trips, outdoor activities, and community involvement. The school has strong relationships with pupils, who behave well and feel valued, with particularly excellent reading provision through its phonics programme. The school is also ambitious for its pupils and has worked hard to design a comprehensive curriculum that sets high expectations.
Key Strengths
- Strong emphasis on reading with well-delivered phonics programme and quick identification of struggling readers
- Broad and ambitious curriculum design with clear knowledge progression from Nursery to Year 6
- Excellent personal development opportunities including residential trips, outdoor experiences, and community engagement activities
- Good behaviour and attendance rates with pupils feeling valued and listened to
- Effective early years provision with consistent curriculum delivery and strong assessment practices
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent curriculum delivery across key stages 1 and 2 leading to gaps in pupils' knowledge and insecure learning
- Underdeveloped assessment systems that don't consistently identify when pupils need further explanation or are ready to move on
- Variable effectiveness of support for pupils with SEND due to lack of clear targets and guidance for staff
- Weak oversight by leaders and trustees of curriculum quality and consistency
- Teachers introducing too much new information too quickly, impacting secure learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Annual residential trips including camping and hill walking, expedition club, pond dipping, sports, musical instrument lessons, knitting club, gardening club, lacrosse, comic club
Ghyllside Primary School is an ambitious school with positive relationships between staff and pupils, where behaviour is good and early years provision is strong. However, the quality of education requires improvement due to variability in how the new curriculum is delivered across key stages 1 and 2.
At a Glance
13.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
184 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 improved from 77% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 79% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.8
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
28.9
KS2
12
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Ghyllside Primary School
Term dates
Ghyllside Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Westmorland and Furness's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Ghyllside Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ghyllside Primary School is in Westmorland and Furness; for families living there:
- Westmorland and Furness's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy 2027 to 2028 (Reception to Year 11)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 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 Ghyllside Primary School
Will you get a place at Ghyllside Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ghyllside Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ghyllside Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ghyllside Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Westmorland and Furness, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Ghyllside Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Westmorland and Furness 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
96%
Near capacity
404 pupils
420 places
16 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Kendal
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Kendal
Across Westmorland and Furness council
Places available
2,590
Applications
1,692
Got 1st preference
96.1%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across Westmorland and Furness council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
73
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
19.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
424
Total Pupils
185
Boys
239
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
19.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,273
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2210k
Total funding
£83k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.7%
Overall absence
5.3%
Persistent absence
361
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
Ghyllside Primary School
Questions parents ask about Ghyllside Primary School
What are SATs results like at Ghyllside Primary School?
Of the pupils at Ghyllside Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 86% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Ghyllside Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ghyllside Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Ghyllside Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Ghyllside Primary School is oversubscribed, Westmorland and Furness allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Ghyllside Primary School?
Ghyllside Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Ghyllside Primary School?
Classes at Ghyllside Primary School average 28.8 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 Ghyllside Primary School?
Ghyllside Primary School has around 424 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ghyllside Primary School?
3.7% of sessions were missed at Ghyllside Primary School in 2024/25. 5.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ghyllside Primary School?
Apply through Westmorland and Furness's coordinated admissions process, naming Ghyllside 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.
How many road collisions happen near Ghyllside Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ghyllside Primary School?
Ghyllside Primary School is at Gillinggate, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4JB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)