Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery, Seascale
Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Seascale. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 112 schools in Cumberland with published results, and 637th of 14,452 across England. It was 77% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- 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
Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery in detail
Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Gosforth C of E Primary School is a small village school that received 'Good' in its Ofsted inspection in March 2024. The school was built over 150 years ago and currently has over 100 pupils on roll. We are only 4 miles from the west coast and 12 miles south of the historic Georgian town of Whitehaven."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 94% of Year 6 pupils at Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery reached the expected standard in reading and 94% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Cumberland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 90% in reading and 81% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery as their first choice and 26 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 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 Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery are Seascale Primary School (2.1 miles, Good, 70% reading, 60% maths); Beckermet CofE School (3.9 miles, Good, 90% reading, 60% maths); St Bega's CofE Primary School (4.5 miles, Good); and Thornhill Primary School (5 miles, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths).
Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Seascale Primary SchoolBeckermet CofE SchoolSt Bega's CofE Primary SchoolThornhill Primary School
Who goes there
3.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (89%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 15 pupils (15.6%) received SEN support and 2 (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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Staffing
Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery had 7 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
The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cumberland (22).
Suspensions and exclusions
Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery 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; 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
3.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 90% to 94% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 81% to 94% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 71% to 94% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
19.2
Avg class size
17.5
Infant (KS1)
20.3
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery
Term dates
Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery 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 Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery 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)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
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, 2 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 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 Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery
Will you get a place at Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery 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
77%
Available places
108 pupils
140 places
32 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Seascale
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Seascale
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(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
15
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
17.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
96
Total Pupils
60
Boys
36
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
13.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,914
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,997
Per pupil
£688k
Total funding
£2k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
2.0%
Persistent absence
98
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery
What are SATs results like at Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Of the pupils at Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 94% reached the expected standard in reading and 94% did so in maths.
What is Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024.
What is the catchment area for Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery is oversubscribed, Cumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery was not full in 2025: it ran at 77% of its 140 places.
How big are the classes at Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Classes at Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery average 19.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery has around 96 pupils on roll. 3% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery in 2024/25. 2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery 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 Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery's term dates?
Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery 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 Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery?
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, 2 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery is at Wasdale Road, Gosforth, Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1AZ.
Sources: Cumberland term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)