Carnforth Community Primary School

About Carnforth Community Primary School

Carnforth Community Primary School’s headline metrics sit below the Lancashire local authority average for primary schools, which stands at 60% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. At Carnforth, just 29% of pupils achieved that combined benchmark in the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, a figure that places the school 401st out of 480 similar schools in the county. The gap is significant, but the picture isn’t uniformly low. In reading, 76% of pupils met the expected standard and 29% reached the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 108. Maths tells a different story: 59% hit the expected level, only 6% reached the higher standard, and the average score was 102. Writing was the weakest area, with just 35% meeting expectations and 6% at the higher level. The school’s ranking in the Lancaster local authority area is 44th out of 46 schools, placing it in the bottom 50% nationally. These results suggest a school where reading is a relative strength but maths and writing need sustained focus.

The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2024, rated it Good across all five categories: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Early years provision was also rated Good. This represents a consistent picture, as the previous inspection in 2014 also awarded a Good rating. With only 82 pupils on roll against a capacity of 121, the school is under-subscribed, yet it received 38 applications for 12 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, with all 12 first-preference applicants offered a place. The oversubscription ratio of 3.17 indicates strong local demand despite the modest headline results. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 24.7%, above the national average, which may partly contextualise the attainment data. The school’s Progress 8 scores for reading, writing and maths are not available in the data, so it is not possible to assess how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points.

Carnforth offers a broad set of facilities for a small primary, including playing fields, an ICT suite, a forest school, library, art studios, music rooms and a chapel. Sports provision covers gymnastics, swimming, cross country, tennis, netball and rounders, while clubs include science, coding, chess, choir and gardening. The school has a nursery provision, which will appeal to families with younger children. SEND support is well-documented, with provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication difficulties, hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties or disabilities. This makes it a potentially strong fit for families whose children need additional support in a small, community-focused setting. The headteacher is Sarah Hudd. For parents weighing up options, Carnforth is a Good-rated school with a warm local reputation, but the academic outcomes are well below the Lancashire average, so it is worth visiting to see how the school’s strengths in reading and pastoral care match your child’s needs.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Carnforth Community Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents