Black Combe Junior School

About Black Combe Junior School

Black Combe Junior School is a small state primary in Cumberland, catering to 85 pupils aged 7 to 11. Within the local authority’s 144 primary schools, it ranks 73rd, placing it in the bottom half of the table. The top-performing peers in the area — Jericho Primary School, Irthington Village School, and Shankhill CofE Primary School — all score considerably higher on the same ranking metric, which is based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in July 2024, rated its overall effectiveness as Requires Improvement, a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2019. Inspectors noted that while behaviour and attitudes, as well as personal development, remain Good, the quality of education and leadership and management both require improvement. The school has a higher-than-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 29.4%, and its capacity of 136 suggests there is room for growth.

Academically, the school’s 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results show a mixed picture. Just 49% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared with the Cumberland local authority average of 54%. Only 2% of pupils reached the higher standard in all three subjects. In reading, 65% met the expected standard and 16% achieved the higher standard, while in maths the figures were 74% and 9% respectively. Writing was weaker, with 53% reaching the expected standard and just 2% hitting the higher mark. Average scaled scores for reading and maths both stood at 102, which is in line with the national average of 100. The school ranks 73rd out of 111 primaries in Cumberland on the combined expected standard metric, placing it in the bottom 50 nationally. Progress scores are not available for any subject, so it is difficult to gauge how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points.

The school offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, music rooms, art studios, a sensory room, and a chapel, plus outdoor playgrounds and playing fields. Sports on offer include gymnastics, dance, swimming, and netball, and there are clubs for gardening, chess, and art. The school has identified SEND provisions for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties or disabilities. With only 85 pupils on roll against a capacity of 136, the school is not oversubscribed, which may appeal to families seeking a smaller, less pressured setting. However, the Requires Improvement rating and below-average combined outcomes mean parents should weigh the school’s strengths in behaviour and personal development against the need for stronger academic leadership. It may suit families who prioritise a supportive, well-resourced environment over top-tier exam results.

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