James Rennie School, Carlisle
James Rennie School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Carlisle, part of The Eden Academy. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
James Rennie School in detail
The trust
James Rennie School is one of 9 schools run by The Eden Academy, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 11 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
32.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 6.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at James Rennie School has an education, health and care plan (217 of 217 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
James Rennie School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is California Road (near), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood James Rennie School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 47 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and drug offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cumberland (22), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
James Rennie School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from May 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its May 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
32.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SLD, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Keep up with James Rennie School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to James Rennie School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. James Rennie School 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
111%
Over capacity
217 pupils
195 places
22 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Carlisle
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Carlisle
Across Cumberland council
Places available
3,164
Applications
2,751
Got 1st preference
95.3%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All secondary applications across Cumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
217
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
James Rennie School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
217
Total Pupils
154
Boys
63
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
34
Teachers
6.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,155
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.6%
Overall absence
20.1%
Persistent absence
159
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about James Rennie School
What are SATs results like at James Rennie School?
Of the pupils at James Rennie School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is James Rennie School's Ofsted rating?
James Rennie School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for James Rennie School?
No fixed boundary. When James Rennie School is oversubscribed, Cumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to James Rennie School?
James Rennie School has around 217 pupils on roll. 33% are eligible for free school meals.
Does James Rennie School have specialist SEN provision?
James Rennie School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at James Rennie School?
8.6% of sessions were missed at James Rennie School in 2024/25. 20.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to James Rennie School?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming James Rennie School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near James Rennie School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Where is James Rennie School?
James Rennie School is at California Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 0BU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)