Carnforth School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 March 2026

Pupils receive a warm welcome from staff each day at the school and feel part of the community. Pupils share an understanding of the importance of learning. They generally listen well in lessons. Pupils feel safe. Outdoors, pupils love the range of play equipment that the school provides. This enables pupils to make the most of breaktimes and lunchtimes. Pupils cooperate with their peers and other pupils across all year groups. Pupils say that bullying is uncommon and always quickly resolved. Pupils are happy to attend school and attendance is improving over time due to the hard work of the pastoral team. Children learn rapidly from the beginning of the early years. Teachers organise engaging activities, such as kite making, to entice children to play and learn. Children listen intently to engaging story time. They learn to read effectively from the beginning of school. Most pupils achieve well and perform in line with national averages in national testing. They discuss their learning and favourite pieces of work with interest. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils, those who are known (or previously known) to children’s social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing are well cared for. Teachers adapt the curriculum and their lessons to address these pupils' needs. Leaders understand pupils' individual needs; they are included in all aspects of school life. The school organises a wide variety of visits and experiences for children. These enrich pupils' understanding of the curriculum and beyond. Pupils in Years 3, 5 and 6 appreciate the residential visits that they go on. These visits help them to build their independence and develop social skills. Pupils are typically well prepared for life in modern Britain.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should sustain the improvements in attendance rates by continuing to analyse patterns closely, acting promptly where concerns arise and working with families whose children are persistently absent.
• Leaders should continue to strengthen teachers’ use of assessment to understand where pupils have made errors in to order to address gaps in pupils' learning.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)