Blackford CofE Primary School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 3 to 11
Ofsted judgements: Good

Blackford, Carlisle, CA6 4ESOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Blackford CofE Primary School is a primary school in Carlisle for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 178 schools in Cumberland. It ranks 39th of 40 primary schools in Carlisle. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 8 October 2024, report published 19 November 2024

This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.

Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 October 2024

Pupils flourish in this happy, nurturing school. Those who are new to the school settle in quickly and develop positive friendships. Pupils are confident that staff will listen and support them if they have any worries. Children in the early years radiate confidence as they run to share their achievements with staff. Pupils of all ages develop strong bonds with the adults in the school. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are aspirational for the future. They achieve well across a wide range of subjects. Pupils understand the school's high expectations of their behaviour and are eager to live up to these. They listen attentively in lessons and move around the school calmy. At social times, pupils play cooperatively and demonstrate respect towards each other. Staff support pupils well to develop their understanding of how their behaviour can impact on the feelings of others. Pupils enjoy engaging in the experiences that the school provides beyond the academic curriculum. They delight in using the new play equipment outside and speak positively about accessing activities, such as football and baking, after school.

What the school should improve

  • The school has recently introduced new curriculums in some subjects, and changes are not fully embedded. This means that some pupils do not gain the depth of knowledge that they need in all subjects. The school should ensure that the new curriculums are firmly embedded so that pupils develop a secure body of knowledge and are sufficiently well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

8 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths13%

13%, 49 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths0%

0%, 8 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score99

99, 7 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score98

98, 7 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score98

98, 7 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

60 pupils on roll, with places for 56

Eligible for free school meals15%

15%, 11.5 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language1.7%

1.7%, 19.9 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support8.3%

8.3%, 6.5 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan3.3%

3.3%, 2.7 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Blackford CofE Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Houghton CofE School2 milesReport card: Needs attention to expected standard68% met the expected standard
Rockcliffe CofE School2 milesOfsted: Good58% met the expected standard
Kingmoor Junior School2 milesReport card: Needs attention to strong standard60% met the expected standard
Kingmoor Nursery and Infant School2 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Stanwix School3 milesOfsted: Good55% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Voluntary aided school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
3 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Mrs Lindsey Slater
Address
Blackford, Carlisle, CA6 4ES
Local authority
Cumberland
URN
112300

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.