Grasmere CofE Primary School, Ambleside
Grasmere CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Ambleside. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 13th-highest of the 98 schools in Westmorland and Furness with published results, and 1,534th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 103% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
Grasmere CofE Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils at Grasmere CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 90% 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 80% in reading and 80% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Grasmere CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 13 families put Grasmere CofE Primary School as their first choice and 17 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Grasmere CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Grasmere CofE Primary School are Langdale CofE School (1.7 miles, Good); and Ambleside CofE Primary School (2.9 miles, Requires improvement, 75% reading, 88% maths).
What parents say
32 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Grasmere CofE Primary School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (97%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).
Who goes there
6.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 11 pupils (12.4%) received SEN support and 1 (1.1%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Grasmere CofE Primary School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 10 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Grasmere CofE Primary School.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School (near), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 6 crimes within a mile of the school, most often public order offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Westmorland and Furness (11).
Suspensions and exclusions
Grasmere CofE Primary School 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; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2020, 6 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Grasmere is a warm, welcoming school at the heart of its community where children are genuinely happy and safe. Teachers really know their pupils and families well, creating strong relationships that support learning. The school offers an ambitious curriculum with wonderful enrichment experiences, excellent reading teaching, and outstanding support for all learners including those with additional needs.
Key Strengths
- Excellent behaviour and conduct - pupils are polite, courteous and well-mannered
- Strong reading programme - children develop into competent and independent readers
- High-quality curriculum design with clear progression of knowledge and skills from early years to Year 6
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND who thrive alongside their peers
- Rich range of experiences including trips, outdoor learning and community involvement
Areas for Improvement
- Writing skills need more focus - pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise writing across different subjects, leaving some lacking confidence by Year 6
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong safeguarding culture prioritising pupils' interests.
Extracurricular Activities
Trips to London including the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday, beach and lake adventures, mountain expeditions, visit to the King and Houses of Parliament, school learning wheel activities, musical and sports opportunities, community fundraising for local charities, 400 years of spring community event
Grasmere CofE Primary School is a welcoming village school where pupils are happy, safe and eager to attend. The school has maintained good standards with a broad, ambitious curriculum and strong relationships between staff, pupils and families.
At a Glance
6.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
32 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 80% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 80% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 90% to 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
18.3
Avg class size
16.5
Infant (KS1)
22.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Grasmere CofE Primary School
Term dates
Grasmere CofE Primary School is a voluntary aided school, 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 Grasmere CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Grasmere CofE 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
- 1
- 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, 1 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Grasmere CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at Grasmere CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Grasmere CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Grasmere CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Grasmere CofE 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 Grasmere CofE 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
103%
Over capacity
72 pupils
70 places
2 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ambleside
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ambleside
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
11
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
13.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
89
Total Pupils
49
Boys
40
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
12.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,133
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,196
Per pupil
£554k
Total funding
£6k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.2%
Overall absence
3.1%
Persistent absence
65
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Grasmere CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at Grasmere CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at Grasmere CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 90% reached the expected standard in reading and 90% did so in maths.
What is Grasmere CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Grasmere CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Grasmere CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Grasmere CofE 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 Grasmere CofE Primary School?
Grasmere CofE Primary School was full in 2025, at 103% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Grasmere CofE Primary School?
Classes at Grasmere CofE Primary School average 18.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Grasmere CofE Primary School?
Grasmere CofE Primary School has around 89 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Grasmere CofE Primary School?
2.2% of sessions were missed at Grasmere CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 3.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Grasmere CofE Primary School?
Apply through Westmorland and Furness's coordinated admissions process, naming Grasmere CofE 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 Grasmere CofE 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, 1 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Grasmere CofE Primary School?
Grasmere CofE Primary School is at Stock Lane, Grasmere, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 9SJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)