Monkwray Junior School, Whitehaven
Monkwray Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Whitehaven. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 11 schools in Whitehaven with published results, and 10,218th of 14,452 across England. It was 75% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Capacity
- 75% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Monkwray Junior School in detail
Monkwray Junior School in its own words
In its own words: "Our Mission Statement was written by the pupils, staff and governors. It encapsulates what we believe our school should be. Monkwray Junior School aims to perform to the highest possible standards in all aspects, in order to develop all of its pupils to their full potential."
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am extremely proud to lead our school and be part of such a wonderful community. Our school is a place where we actively encourage the pupils to - Be Brave, Be Bright and Be YOU! ."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at Monkwray Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Cumberland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 52% in reading and 64% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Monkwray Junior School
Across Cumberland, 98% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 100% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Cumberland lodged 13 appeals against primary school offers; 7 reached a hearing and 3 succeeded (42.9% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Monkwray Junior School are Kells Infant School (0.4 miles, Outstanding); St Begh's Catholic Junior School (0.4 miles, Good, 79% reading, 66% maths); St Mary's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 96% reading, 84% maths); and St Gregory and St Patrick's Catholic Infant School (0.5 miles, Good).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Monkwray Junior School.
Kells Infant SchoolSt Begh's Catholic Junior SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolSt Gregory and St Patrick's Catholic Infant School
Who goes there
36.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 14 pupils (12.8%) received SEN support and 10 (9.2%) 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 autism.
Staffing
Monkwray Junior School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 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 610 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Punch Bowl (near), 360 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 151 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cumberland (22), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Monkwray Junior School issued 6 suspensions, 5.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Monkwray Junior School are St Benedict's Catholic High School (1.2 miles) and The Whitehaven Academy (1.3 miles).
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
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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from March 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2013 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
36.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 52% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 48% to 52% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.8
Avg class size
21.8
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Monkwray Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Monkwray Junior School.
- Whitehaven Sports Centre Holiday Playscheme750m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Monkwray Junior 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 Monkwray Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Monkwray Junior 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 9 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
75%
Available places
117 pupils
156 places
39 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.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
22.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
109
Total Pupils
56
Boys
53
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
12.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,235
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,676
Per pupil
£882k
Total funding
£68k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.2%
Overall absence
9.2%
Persistent absence
119
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
Monkwray Junior School
Questions parents ask about Monkwray Junior School
What are SATs results like at Monkwray Junior School?
Of the pupils at Monkwray Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 74% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is Monkwray Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Monkwray Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Monkwray Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Monkwray Junior 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 Monkwray Junior School?
Monkwray Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 75% of its 156 places.
How big are the classes at Monkwray Junior School?
Classes at Monkwray Junior School average 21.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Monkwray Junior School?
Monkwray Junior School has around 109 pupils on roll. 37% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Monkwray Junior School?
5.2% of sessions were missed at Monkwray Junior School in 2024/25. 9.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Monkwray Junior School?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Monkwray Junior 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.
Does Monkwray Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Monkwray Junior School: Whitehaven Sports Centre Holiday Playscheme (750m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Monkwray Junior School's term dates?
Monkwray Junior 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 Monkwray Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 9 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 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 Monkwray Junior School?
Monkwray Junior School is at Monkwray Brow, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 9DT.
Sources: Cumberland term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)