Kells Infant School, Whitehaven
Kells Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Whitehaven. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. It was 76% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Kells Infant School in detail
Kells Infant School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Hello, I am Wendy Figes. I am the headteacher at Kells Infants School. Kells Infants School is a wonderfully enriching environment for children. we aim to give them the best possible start to learning, in a fun, nurturing environment. The staff team are fantastic, they are approachable, professional and kind."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Kells Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 35 families put Kells Infant School as their first choice and 44 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Kells Infant School are St Mary's Catholic Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding, 96% reading, 84% maths); Monkwray Junior School (0.4 miles, Good, 74% reading, 67% maths); St Gregory and St Patrick's Catholic Infant School (0.8 miles, Good); and St Begh's Catholic Junior School (0.8 miles, Good, 79% reading, 66% maths).
St Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolMonkwray Junior SchoolSt Gregory and St Patrick's Catholic Infant SchoolSt Begh's Catholic Junior School
What parents say
13 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Kells Infant School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
11.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 34 pupils (26.2%) received SEN support and 5 (3.8%) 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 specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Staffing
Kells Infant School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 8 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Corkickle Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High Road (near), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 106 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cumberland (22), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Kells Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Kells Infant School are St Benedict's Catholic High School (1.6 miles) and The Whitehaven Academy (1.6 miles).
Sources: 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
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils' happy faces show how much they like this friendly school. Their parents and carers have many positive things to say about the support that their children receive. Nursery children enter excited about what the day will bring. Older pupils relish the activities that the school provides at social times. Pupils thrive in the knowledge that staff care for them well.
The school expects pupils to achieve well so that they are ready for junior school. Pupils work hard and try their best in lessons. They listen carefully to teachers and show perseverance when they learn new skills. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), typically achieve well in a range of subjects.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has established a broad and ambitious curriculum. It has identified what pupils need to know and be able to do by the time that they leave the school. This important knowledge is broken down into carefully ordered steps, starting from the early years.
Staff deliver the curriculum well. They make effective adaptations so that pupils with SEND can fully access learning alongside their peers. Staff check regularly to ensure that pupils understand the knowledge that they are learning. This ensures that any misconceptions are addressed swiftly and successfully.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its July 2014 inspection - up from Good.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
11.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
13 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
21.7
Avg class size
23.0
Infant (KS1)
6
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Kells Infant School
Term dates
Kells Infant School is a community 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Kells Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Kells Infant 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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Kells Infant School
Will you get a place at Kells Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Kells Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Kells Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Kells Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Kells Infant School 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.
£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
76%
Available places
68 pupils
90 places
22 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Whitehaven
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Whitehaven
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
34
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
30.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
130
Total Pupils
69
Boys
61
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
14.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,701
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,194
Per pupil
£567k
Total funding
£11k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.7%
Overall absence
7.0%
Persistent absence
43
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
Kells Infant School
Questions parents ask about Kells Infant School
What is Kells Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Kells Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Kells Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Kells Infant School is oversubscribed, Cumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Kells Infant School?
Kells Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 76% of its 90 places.
How big are the classes at Kells Infant School?
Classes at Kells Infant School average 21.7 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 Kells Infant School?
Kells Infant School has around 130 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Kells Infant School?
4.7% of sessions were missed at Kells Infant School in 2024/25. 7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Kells Infant School?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Kells Infant 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.
What are Kells Infant School's term dates?
Kells Infant School is a community 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 Kells Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Kells Infant School?
Kells Infant School is at High Road, Kells, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 9PQ.
Sources: Cumberland term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)