Carlisle Infant School

About Carlisle Infant School

Carlisle Infant School is a state primary in Richmond upon Thames that takes children from age 4 to 7, and it is clearly a popular choice among local families. With 234 pupils on roll against a capacity of 240, the school is running very close to full, and the demand is striking: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 165 applications for just 56 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.95. Of those, 51 families put it as their first preference, and all 51 were offered a place. The school’s intake is notably less disadvantaged than the national average, with 10.7% of pupils eligible for free school meals, compared with around 23% nationally. This fits the pattern of the borough, which is one of the most affluent in London. The school is non-religious and mixed, with headteacher Zoe Brittain at the helm.

Academically, Carlisle Infant School has held a Good rating from Ofsted across its two most recent graded inspections. The most recent graded inspection was in January 2014, where it received Good for overall effectiveness, leadership and management, and early years provision. A subsequent ungraded inspection in September 2023 confirmed that the school remains Good. Because the school only covers Key Stage 1 (Reception to Year 2), there are no published KS2 SATs results to compare against the local authority average of 76% reaching the expected standard. However, the early years provision was rated Good in the 2014 inspection, and the school’s strong local reputation is reflected in its oversubscription. For context, Richmond upon Thames has 16 outstanding primary schools out of 46 total, and the nearest outstanding alternative is Hampton Infant School and Nursery, just 1 km away.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for such a young age group, including a library, playing fields, a gymnasium, a forest school, a sensory room, and even a chapel. Sports provision covers cricket, rounders, netball, dance, football, tennis, and gymnastics, while clubs extend to drama, gardening, choir, chess, book club, and coding. SEND support is well-documented, with provisions for specific learning difficulties (including dyslexia), social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. There is no nursery or sixth form, and it is not a boarding school. This is a school that suits families who want a strong local infant option with good facilities and a clear demand signal, but who are also prepared for the likelihood of needing to secure a place for Year 3 elsewhere, as the school finishes at age 7.

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