Penny Bridge CofE School

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 4 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Greenodd, Ulverston, LA12 7RQOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Penny Bridge CofE School is a primary school in Ulverston for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 160 schools in Westmorland and Furness. It ranks 4th of 9 primary schools in Ulverston. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 10 July 2024, report published 29 September 2024

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

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 July 2024

Penny Bridge CofE Primary School sits at the heart of its local and wider community. Pupils are happy and proud to attend this school. The school expects pupils to achieve well, and they do. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), leave the school well prepared for the next stage in their education. Pupils behave well. During lessons, they listen to their teachers and follow instructions carefully. This includes children in the Reception class who follow well- established routines. Across school, pupils are polite and courteous. Pupils are active and relish being outdoors. They are keen to complete their daily mile around the school grounds before lessons begin. Pupils benefit from an array of clubs such as biking, rugby, outdoor club and cricket. They enjoy taking part in sporting competitions and are proud to represent the school. Pupils are also inspired to develop a love of the arts. For example, they can join the school choir and learn to play piano, brass, woodwind or stringed instruments. The school helps pupils to impact positively on the local area. For example, school council members help to keep the village tidy and organise litter picks. Older pupils readily bake cakes and serve tea at the local community cafe.

What the school should improve

  • In some subjects, the school does not gain a deep enough overview of what pupils know and understand over time. This limits its ability to revise and update the curriculum to ensure that pupils achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that the information from teachers' checks on pupils' learning are used more productively to identify what is going well and where curriculum improvements are needed.
  • In a small number of subjects, some pupils have gaps in important knowledge due to weaknesses in previous curriculums. These gaps have not been identified. This means that, on occasion, pupils are introduced to new learning without their prior knowledge being secure. This hinders them from learning all that they could. The school should ensure that gaps in learning are identified so that pupils build new knowledge and skills securely.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

12 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths58%

58%, 4 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths8%

8%, the same as the England average.

Reading, average scaled score104

104, 2 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score106

106, 1 above the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score103

103, 2 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

123 pupils on roll, with places for 105

Eligible for free school meals6.5%

6.5%, 20 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language0%

0%, 21.6 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support17.1%

17.1%, 2.3 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan0.8%

0.8%, 5.2 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Penny Bridge CofE School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Leven Valley CofE Primary School3 milesOfsted judgements: Good64% met the expected standard
Church Walk CofE Primary School3 milesReport card: Needs attention to expected standard69% met the expected standard
Sir John Barrow School3 milesOfsted: Outstanding72% met the expected standard
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston3 milesReport card: Expected standard to strong standard65% met the expected standard
Croftlands Infant School4 milesOfsted: GoodNot published

School details

School type
Academy converter
Sector
Academy
Trust
THE GOOD SHEPHERD MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Age range
4 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mr Graham Carrick
Address
Greenodd, Ulverston, LA12 7RQ
URN
140306

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.