Kirkoswald CofE School, Penrith
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Kirkoswald is a welcoming school where children are encouraged to be their best and rise to high expectations. The strong phonics programme gets children reading confidently, and well-trained staff quickly support those who need extra help. Children enjoy a rich mix of clubs, trips and experiences that build their confidence and help them understand the wider world.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics and early reading programme with well-trained staff supporting struggling readers
- High pupil behaviour and respect, with pupils taking pride in school responsibilities
- Enriched curriculum including trips, visits, clubs and external events that build confidence and independence
- Effective safeguarding arrangements and positive staff culture
- Clear identification and swift support for pupils with special educational needs
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects and early years areas, curriculum is not clearly sequenced, making it harder for pupils to build complex knowledge
- Gaps in pupils' prior learning are not always identified, preventing new learning from building securely on what they know
- Adaptations for pupils with SEND are not consistently applied across all activities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders maintaining a strong culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Football, art, cricket clubs, village coffee participation, pen pal writing to The Gambia, music festival singing, end-of-year play, sporting tournaments, trips to Edinburgh, transition camp, Year 3 and Year 6 biodiversity work with local landowner
Kirkoswald CofE Primary School is the heart of the community where pupils are happy, polite and well-behaved. The school has high expectations for achievement and pupils leave well-prepared for secondary school.
At a Glance
9.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
47 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 100% to 78%. Maths has declined from 83% to 78%. Writing has declined from 92% to 78%.
Class Sizes
16.7
Avg class size
3
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
53%
Available places
48 pupils
90 capacity
42 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Penrith
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Penrith
Admissions Demand - Westmorland and Furness
Places available
2,627
Applications
1,698
Got 1st preference
97.9%
Got preferred school
99.4%
Primary admissions across Westmorland and Furness (2025/26)
Inspection History(7)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.86519%
Overall absence
2.32558%
Persistent absence
43
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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