St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Windermere

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 June 2026

Pupils are proud to attend this small Catholic primary school. They develop positive relationships with staff. This helps pupils to feel safe. In the main, pupils attend school regularly. They play imaginatively together. Pupils are honoured to act as positive role models for younger children. Buddies organise a wide choice of activities for their peers to enjoy. These include using the gym equipment and sports games. Bullying and conflicts are very rare. Pupils know that adults deal with any issues fairly. Pupils are positive ambassadors for the school. They take their leadership roles seriously, relishing being mini police and school councillors. Pupils also support local community projects. These include working with the local police as lake wardens and litter pickers. Writing letters to pen pals in Windermere’s twinned town of Diessen in Germany is a particular delight for pupils. Pupils enjoy their learning. They work hard and focus on tasks set. Staff make changes to activities to support pupils’ learning. For example, teachers provide appropriate support to pupils who are at an early stage of learning English. However, some pupils do not make the progress through the curriculum of which they are capable. This is particularly the case in writing. This hinders pupils from being ready for the next stage in their education. Pupils relish the opportunities that leaders organise for them to learn outside the classroom. These include regular activities in the local woodlands. Pupils also enjoy residential experiences, which helps them develop their independence. Leaders ensure that everyone is included. Pupils enjoy extra-curricular clubs such as gardening and cookery. They experience entrepreneurial endeavours, raising funds, managing money and organising charitable events. Pupils are committed to making a positive difference to their community and beyond.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that the revised curriculum is delivered consistently well and that staff both identify and address any historical gaps in learning, so that pupils are supported to achieve all that they are capable of across the curriculum, particularly in writing.
• Leaders, including governors, should build on recent improvements by checking the impact of their work so that improvements are sustained and continue to improve pupils’ outcomes.
• Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that effective attendance strategies continue to reduce persistent absence and improve attendance further for those pupils who miss school most often.

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