Alston Primary School

About Alston Primary School

Alston Primary School’s headline Key Stage 2 results sit well below the Westmorland and Furness local authority average, which is a significant point for parents to weigh up. The LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 58%, but at Alston only 33% of pupils achieved that benchmark in the 2023/24 academic year. This places the school 89th out of 99 primary schools in the local authority, putting it firmly in the bottom half of the league table. Nationally, it ranks in the bottom 5% of all primary schools on this measure. However, the picture is not uniformly low: the school’s average reading score of 102 is exactly in line with the national standard of 100, and 58% of pupils met the expected standard in reading individually. Maths is weaker, with an average score of 99 and only 50% reaching the expected level, while writing sits at 42%. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard in any subject is very small — 8% in reading and maths, and 0% in writing.

Despite these academic outcomes, Alston Primary has held a Good rating from Ofsted across its last two inspections, most recently in January 2025. The inspection team judged every area — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — as Good. This suggests the school is providing a solid, well-managed environment even if exam results don’t reflect that at first glance. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 88% of respondents would recommend the school, and every single parent who answered agreed that their child is happy and feels safe. Strong majorities also agreed that the school has high expectations for their child (93% combined agree/strongly agree) and that their child does well (96%). The school is small, with just 87 pupils against a capacity of 105, and it was not oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry — all 13 first-preference applicants received an offer.

For families considering Alston, the practical picture is one of a close-knit, well-regarded village school with a strong pastoral feel. The facilities are surprisingly broad for a school of this size, including an ICT suite, art studios, a sensory room, a forest school area, a sports hall and a gymnasium. Clubs cover art, drama, science and coding, and sports include gymnastics, football, athletics, tennis, rounders and cricket. The school also has identified SEND provision for moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and hearing impairment — though the parent view data on SEND support was not answered by any respondents, so it’s worth asking the school directly about this. With no nursery or sixth form, it’s a straightforward primary option for families who value a small, stable setting where children feel safe and happy, even if the academic results are below the local average.

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