Hensingham Primary School
Main Street, Whitehaven, CA28 8QZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Hensingham Primary School is a primary school in Whitehaven for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 178 schools in Cumberland. It ranks 9th of 11 primary schools in Whitehaven. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 24 April 2024, report published 9 June 2024
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- 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 24 April 2024
Pupils are happy and proud to belong to their school. They described it as a welcoming and friendly place. Pupils trust staff to help them to overcome any difficulties that they may have. Pupils typically behave well, including at social times. Older pupils keep a watchful eye over their younger 'buddies' at lunchtime. This helps Reception-aged children to learn the well-established routines that contribute to the calm and orderly school environment. Children quickly settle in the early years. They begin to recognise the value of cooperation and negotiation. The school supports pupils well to understand the richness of their local and wider community. Pupils learn to celebrate diversity. For example, older pupils recognise how important it is to value people's differences to help them to get along with others successfully. The school expects all pupils to succeed academically. It provides additional support to enable pupils to achieve well from their differing starting points. This includes providing places, such as the 'Hive', to help pupils to focus on their learning more effectively when this is needed. As a result, pupils, especially those with special educational needs and or/disabilities (SEND), flourish at the school and they grow in confidence.
What the school should improve
- Some teachers do not deliver some aspects of the curriculum consistently well. This makes it harder for pupils to recall key knowledge when they need it. It also makes it more difficult for pupils to learn new information. The school should make sure that teachers are equipped to support pupils to build up a secure body of knowledge across the curriculum.
- The school does not ensure that teachers consider sufficiently well how secure pupils' knowledge is before moving on to new learning. At times, this includes in reading. When this happens, pupils do not achieve as well as they could because the building blocks for future learning are not fully in place. The school should ensure that assessment strategies support teachers to identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge quickly and well.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
24 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
120 pupils on roll, with places for 210
Schools near Hensingham Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jericho Primary School | 0.4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 89% met the expected standard |
| St Gregory and St Patrick's Catholic Infant School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Valley Primary School and Nursery | 0.8 miles | Ofsted: Good | 36% met the expected standard |
| St Begh's Catholic Junior School | 0.9 miles | Ofsted: Good | 47% met the expected standard |
| Monkwray Junior School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | 41% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- CUMBRIA EDUCATION TRUST
- Age range
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mrs Amanda Brotherhood
- Phone
- 01946690021
- Address
- Main Street, Whitehaven, CA28 8QZ
- Local authority
- Cumberland
- URN
- 147597
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.