Cumwhinton School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 4 to 11
Ofsted: Good

School Road, Cumwhinton, Carlisle, CA4 8DUOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Cumwhinton School is a primary school in Carlisle for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 178 schools in Cumberland. It ranks 27th of 40 primary schools in Carlisle. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 14 November 2023, report published 18 December 2023

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

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 November 2023

Cumwhinton Primary School is a friendly and happy place to learn. The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils achieve well, particularly in the early years. They are prepared well for the next phase of their education. The school's motto, 'Inspired by Cumbria, ready for the world', threads through all aspects of school life. Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities, including residential visits, clubs and trips to places of interest. They particularly enjoy taking part in challenges such as climbing Blencathra in the Lake District or camping under the stars in the school field. These help to build character as well as being great fun. Parents typically comment that staff are 'polite, approachable and friendly' and form good relationships with them and their children. Pupils behave very well. They know that the simple rules are there to make sure everyone can learn and be safe in school. Pupils show great respect for everyone in the school community. They actively help other people, for example, through raising funds for a cancer charity and entertaining residents in a local care home.

What the school should improve

  • In some foundation subjects, assessment is not precise enough to help teachers to identify any gaps in knowledge that pupils might have. This means that some pupils are not progressing as well as they could in these subjects. The school should ensure that teachers know how to accurately identify any gaps in pupils' knowledge in these subjects so they can then address them.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

30 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths47%

47%, 15 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths7%

7%, 1 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score106

106, the same as the England average.

Maths, average scaled score102

102, 3 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score106

106, 1 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

198 pupils on roll, with places for 210

Eligible for free school meals7.6%

7.6%, 18.9 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language0.5%

0.5%, 21.1 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support3.5%

3.5%, 11.3 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan4%

4%, 2 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Cumwhinton School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Great Corby School and Nursery2 milesOfsted: Good80% met the expected standard
Pennine Way Primary School2 milesOfsted: Good51% met the expected standard
Scotby CofE Primary School2 milesOfsted: Good78% met the expected standard
Inglewood Junior School2 milesReport card: Needs attention to expected standard46% met the expected standard
Petteril Bank School2 milesReport card: Expected standard to strong standard50% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Community school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
4 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mr Ian Murphy
Address
School Road, Cumwhinton, Carlisle, CA4 8DU
Local authority
Cumberland
URN
112108

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.