Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery, Carlisle
Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Carlisle. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 17th-highest of the 40 schools in Carlisle with published results, and 8,234th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 143% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery in detail
Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery in its own words
In its own words: "Choosing the correct Primary School for your child is undoubtedly one of the hardest decisions you make for them. We want you to be assured that choosing our school will be one of the best decisions you will make and one you never regret. We are proud of our size."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils at Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery reached the expected standard in reading and 80% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Cumberland and 77% and 75% across England.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 9 families put Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery as their first choice and 16 named it as one of their preferences, for 9 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery are Ivegill CofE School (3 miles, Good, 85% reading, 100% maths); St Michael's CofE Primary School (3.1 miles, Good, 74% reading, 55% maths); Stoneraise School (3.2 miles, Good, 90% reading, 95% maths); and Rosley CofE School (4.1 miles, Good, 100% reading, 100% maths).
Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Ivegill CofE SchoolSt Michael's CofE Primary SchoolStoneraise SchoolRosley CofE School
What parents say
37 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (95%).
Who goes there
8.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 7 pupils (9.5%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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
Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 10 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cumberland (22).
Suspensions and exclusions
Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery 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; 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 July 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school has improved significantly.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at creating a happy, inclusive environment where all children thrive. Teachers deliver lessons skilfully with strong subject knowledge, helping pupils build deep understanding and catch up quickly if needed. The school goes beyond academics, developing caring, confident young people through enriching experiences like visits to the Lake District and London, and giving pupils meaningful leadership roles.
Key Strengths
- Excellent behaviour and pupil relationships, with older pupils serving as positive role models for younger children
- Ambitious, well-designed curriculum with strong focus on reading, phonics and building secure knowledge
- Exceptional personal development programme including visits, leadership opportunities and outdoor learning
- Swift identification and support for pupils with additional needs, enabling them to participate fully and achieve well
- Strong safeguarding arrangements and highly skilled, well-supported staff
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, after-school activities, visits to the Lake District and London, leadership opportunities
Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery is a delightful small primary school where pupils thrive and feel happy, with remarkably strong relationships between adults and pupils. Evidence suggests the school's work has improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection in 2019.
At a Glance
8.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
37 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)
2024/25 academic year
Class Sizes
17.3
Avg class size
22.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery
Term dates
Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery is a voluntary controlled 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)
Free school transport
Check free transport to Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery
Will you get a place at Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
143%
Over capacity
60 pupils
42 places
18 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Carlisle
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Carlisle
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
9.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
74
Total Pupils
31
Boys
43
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
12.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,623
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,742
Per pupil
£488k
Total funding
£5k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.6%
Overall absence
4.0%
Persistent absence
50
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery
What are SATs results like at Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery?
Of the pupils at Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 70% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery is oversubscribed, Cumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery?
Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery was full in 2025, at 143% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery?
Classes at Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery average 17.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery?
Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery has around 74 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery?
3.6% of sessions were missed at Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery in 2024/25. 4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery 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 Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery's term dates?
Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery is a voluntary controlled 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 Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery?
Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery is at Raughton Head, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 7DD.
Sources: Cumberland term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)