Richmond Hill School, Wigton

Ofsted's report card from its 10 February 2026 inspection grades Richmond Hill School on 7 areas: 3 expected standard and 4 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Attendance is a priority for leaders."

Early years - Expected standard. "Staff interact with children skilfully throughout the day in the early years."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders provide extensive opportunities for pupils' personal development."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Some pupils do not achieve as well as they should."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Teaching does not consistently enable pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, to learn well."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "A number of disadvantaged pupils do not learn as well as they should."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders have not addressed some of their priority areas effectively enough."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently design and select learning activities that help pupils to learn the curriculum securely, remember it and embed their understanding over time"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment consistently so that it identifies precisely the gaps in pupils' knowledge, especially for disadvantaged pupils and that well-matched and effective support is put in place so that gaps close quickly"; "Leaders, including governors, should ensure that their checks on teaching and additional support are accurate and focus sharply on the progress that disadvantaged pupils make. These checks should inform appropriate and timely actions so that effective teaching is the norm and that disadvantaged pupils make the progress they are capable of".

From the headteacher's welcome: "Richmond Hill is a single form entry school which places our children and families at the heart of everything we do. We are situated on the edge of the Solway plain and the edge of The Lake District. In our latest inspection (November 2021) we were rated good by Ofsted."

The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am.

In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils at Richmond Hill School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Cumberland and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 71% in reading and 83% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 17 families put Richmond Hill School as their first choice and 19 named it as one of their preferences, for 17 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Richmond Hill School are St Matthew's CofE School (1.6 miles, Good, 86% reading, 71% maths); Blennerhasset School (1.8 miles, Good, 71% reading, 29% maths); Plumbland CofE School (1.9 miles, Good, 89% reading, 89% maths); and Oughterside Primary School (2.1 miles, Good, 67% reading, 78% maths).

Richmond Hill School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.

37 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Richmond Hill School (as of April 2026): 92% would recommend the school, 92% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).

0.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 25 pupils (12.2%) received SEN support and 3 (1.5%) 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.

Richmond Hill School had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 980 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Harriston Road (near), 90 metres away.

In 2024/25, Richmond Hill School issued 12 suspensions, 5.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.