Pennington CofE School, Ulverston
Pennington CofE School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Ulverston. 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 April 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 9 schools in Ulverston with published results, and 1,455th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Westmorland and Furness (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Pennington CofE School in detail
Results
In 2025, 94% of Year 6 pupils at Pennington CofE School reached the expected standard in reading and 87% 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 76% in reading and 86% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Pennington CofE School
For September 2026 entry, 39 families put Pennington CofE School as their first choice and 73 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 10 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Pennington CofE School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Pennington CofE School are Lindal and Marton Primary School (1.2 miles, 55% reading, 27% maths); Croftlands Junior School (1.3 miles, Good, 71% reading, 79% maths); Croftlands Infant School (1.3 miles, Good); and St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston (1.3 miles, 100% reading, 83% maths).
Pennington CofE School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Lindal and Marton Primary SchoolCroftlands Junior SchoolCroftlands Infant SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston
What parents say
50 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Pennington CofE School (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 71% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (71%).
Who goes there
9.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 12 pupils (5.7%) received SEN support and 7 (3.3%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Pennington CofE School had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 26 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 5 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Westmorland and Furness (11).
Suspensions and exclusions
Pennington CofE 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 April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Pennington CofE School creates a happy, supportive environment where children thrive both academically and personally. The school places a strong emphasis on reading and provides excellent support for children with additional needs. Beyond academics, pupils benefit from a rich programme of enrichment activities and develop into responsible, well-rounded citizens who actively contribute to their community.
Key Strengths
- Teachers are well-trained with secure subject knowledge and deliver the curriculum very effectively
- Strong focus on reading with a well-structured phonics programme helping pupils become fluent readers
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND who progress well and thrive alongside their peers
- Broad, ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils
- Well-behaved pupils who are kind to one another and engaged in their learning
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, key knowledge that pupils should learn is not clearly defined, making it harder for teachers to check progress
- Need to identify essential learning more clearly in these subjects so teachers can better assess what pupils know and remember
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with appropriate oversight and an open, positive culture that prioritises pupils' interests.
Extracurricular Activities
Orienteering, chess, gardening club, residential trips, fundraising events, challenge action group, community events (printfest, remembrance)
Pennington CofE School is a welcoming primary school where pupils flourish and rise to high expectations. The school has maintained good standards since its last inspection in 2020.
At a Glance
9.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
50 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 76% to 94% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 81% to 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.1
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
7
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Pennington CofE School
Term dates
Pennington CofE School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Westmorland and Furness. 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Pennington CofE School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Pennington CofE 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
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Pennington CofE School
Will you get a place at Pennington CofE School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Pennington CofE School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Pennington CofE School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Pennington CofE 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 Pennington CofE 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
99%
Near capacity
208 pupils
210 places
2 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ulverston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ulverston
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(6)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
12
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
9.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
211
Total Pupils
92
Boys
119
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
26.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,494
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,054
Per pupil
£1118k
Total funding
£24k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
5.9%
Persistent absence
186
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
Pennington CofE School
Questions parents ask about Pennington CofE School
What are SATs results like at Pennington CofE School?
Of the pupils at Pennington CofE School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 94% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Pennington CofE School's Ofsted rating?
Pennington CofE School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 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 Pennington CofE School?
No fixed boundary. When Pennington CofE 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 Pennington CofE School?
Pennington CofE School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Pennington CofE School?
Classes at Pennington CofE School average 30.1 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Pennington CofE School?
Pennington CofE School has around 211 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Pennington CofE School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Pennington CofE School in 2024/25. 5.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Pennington CofE School?
Apply through Westmorland and Furness's coordinated admissions process, naming Pennington CofE 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 Pennington CofE School's term dates?
Pennington CofE School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Westmorland and Furness. 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 Pennington CofE School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Pennington CofE School?
Pennington CofE School is at Pennington, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 0RR.
Sources: Westmorland and Furness term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)