Schools in Carnforth

How many schools are there in Carnforth?

Carnforth has 18 open schools: 15 state primary, 1 state secondary or all-through and 2 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Carnforth are rated Outstanding?

2 schools in Carnforth were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Bleasdale School and Nether Kellet Community Primary School. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 16 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Bleasdale SchoolNether Kellet Community Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which primary schools in Carnforth have the best SATs results?

Of the 14 primary schools in Carnforth with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Arnside National CofE School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Holme Primary School (89% in reading, 94% in maths); and Nether Kellet Community Primary School (88% in reading, 81% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Arnside National CofE SchoolHolme Primary SchoolNether Kellet Community Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Carnforth?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Carnforth selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Carnforth have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Carnforth have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Carnforth?

Apply to your council - Lancashire, Westmorland and Furness or North Yorkshire, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.