Burgh by Sands School

About Burgh by Sands School

Burgh by Sands School’s headline KS2 metric sits well below the Cumberland local authority average, which is a notable gap for parents to weigh up. The school’s proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 40%, compared with the LA average of 54%. That 14-point difference places it in the bottom half of primary schools in the area, ranking 87th out of 111 in Cumberland and in the bottom 50% nationally. However, the picture is more mixed when you look at individual subjects. In writing, 73% of pupils met the expected standard, which is a solid result, and in maths that figure was 67%. Reading was lower at 60%. The school also saw 7% of pupils reach the higher standard in all three subjects, and the average scaled scores in reading (103) and maths (102) are both slightly above the national baseline of 100, suggesting that while overall attainment is behind the local norm, there are pockets of strength.

Academically, the school has improved significantly since its last graded inspection. In 2013, Ofsted rated it as Requires Improvement overall, with leadership and management also marked at that level. By the time of its most recent graded inspection in 2022, the school had jumped to a Good rating across the board, with leadership and management also judged Good. An ungraded inspection later that same year confirmed the school remains Good. The Progress 8 measure is not available for this primary, so it’s harder to judge how much value the school adds, but the upward trajectory in Ofsted grades is a clear positive. With only 92 pupils on roll against a capacity of 120, the school is not full, and class sizes are likely small, which can allow for more individual attention. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is low at 4.9%, well below the national average, which may reflect the catchment’s demographic profile.

For families considering Burgh by Sands, the practical picture is one of a small, community-focused village school with a nursery on site and a range of facilities including a library, sensory room, gymnasium and chapel. The school offers a good variety of sports and clubs, from football and netball to book club and eco club. It also has identified SEND provision for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia and moderate learning difficulties. Admissions for 2025/26 show the school was oversubscribed, with 17 applications for 9 places and all 9 first-preference offers accepted, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.89. This suggests it is popular locally despite the below-average KS2 results. The school’s religious character is listed as does not apply, so it is non-denominational. This is a school that suits families who value a small, rural setting with improving Ofsted grades and a broad extracurricular offer, but who are comfortable with academic outcomes that trail the local average.

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