Appleby Primary School
About Appleby Primary School
Appleby Primary School is a state primary for mixed pupils aged 3 to 11, serving the Westmorland and Furness area. With 179 pupils on roll against a capacity of 294, the school is operating well below its maximum, which gives it room to grow. That said, demand is clearly present: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 23 applications for 16 places, and all 16 first-preference applicants were offered a spot, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.44. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 16.8 per cent, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools and suggests a modestly above-average level of disadvantage in the intake. The school has no religious character and is led by headteacher David Spruce, who took over at some point before the most recent Ofsted inspection.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
26 Mar 2024Source: Ofsted, 13 May 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
4Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
SEN UnitSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
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