Robert Ferguson Primary School, Carlisle
Robert Ferguson Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Carlisle. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 36th-highest of the 40 schools in Carlisle with published results, and 12,729th of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Robert Ferguson Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils at Robert Ferguson Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 60% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Cumberland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 82% in reading and 75% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Robert Ferguson Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 50 families put Robert Ferguson Primary School as their first choice and 82 named it as one of their preferences, for 51 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Robert Ferguson Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Robert Ferguson Primary School are The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided) (0.6 miles, Good, 61% reading, 52% maths); Caldew Lea School (0.8 miles, Good, 62% reading, 58% maths); Brook Street Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 77% reading, 60% maths); and St Margaret Mary Catholic Primary School, Carlisle (0.9 miles, 59% reading, 66% maths).
Robert Ferguson Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided)Caldew Lea SchoolBrook Street Primary SchoolSt Margaret Mary Catholic Primary School, Carlisle
Who goes there
11.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Robert Ferguson Primary School had 25 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Carlisle Rail Station, about 800 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dale Street (at), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 491 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and public order offences. 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, Robert Ferguson Primary School issued 6 suspensions, 1.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Robert Ferguson Primary School are Trinity School (0.9 miles), Richard Rose Central Academy (1 mile), Richard Rose Morton Academy (1.3 miles) and St John Henry Newman Catholic School (1.8 miles).
Trinity SchoolRichard Rose Central AcademyRichard Rose Morton AcademySt John Henry Newman Catholic School
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
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from November 2017, 8 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 November 2017 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
23.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 82% to 62% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 75% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 72% to 42% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.3
Avg class size
25.3
Infant (KS1)
28.3
KS2
15
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Robert Ferguson Primary School
Term dates
Robert Ferguson Primary 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 Robert Ferguson Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Robert Ferguson Primary 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 4 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 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 Robert Ferguson Primary School
Will you get a place at Robert Ferguson Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Robert Ferguson Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Robert Ferguson Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Robert Ferguson Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Robert Ferguson Primary School 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
93%
Near capacity
391 pupils
420 places
29 spare places 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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
88
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
25.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
409
Total Pupils
206
Boys
203
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,170
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,424
Per pupil
£2356k
Total funding
£139k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
15.1%
Persistent absence
351
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
Robert Ferguson Primary School
Questions parents ask about Robert Ferguson Primary School
What are SATs results like at Robert Ferguson Primary School?
Of the pupils at Robert Ferguson Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 62% reached the expected standard in reading and 60% did so in maths.
What is Robert Ferguson Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Robert Ferguson Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Robert Ferguson Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Robert Ferguson Primary 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 Robert Ferguson Primary School?
Robert Ferguson Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Robert Ferguson Primary School?
Classes at Robert Ferguson Primary School average 27.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Robert Ferguson Primary School?
Robert Ferguson Primary School has around 409 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Robert Ferguson Primary School?
5.3% of sessions were missed at Robert Ferguson Primary School in 2024/25. 15.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Robert Ferguson Primary School?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Robert Ferguson Primary 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 Robert Ferguson Primary School's term dates?
Robert Ferguson Primary 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 Robert Ferguson Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 4 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 Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Robert Ferguson Primary School?
Robert Ferguson Primary School is at East Dale Street, Denton Holme, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA2 5LA.
Sources: Cumberland term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)