Castle Park School

About Castle Park School

Castle Park School in Westmorland and Furness is a state primary for children aged 2 to 11, and it’s clearly a popular choice among local families. The school currently has 338 pupils on roll, which is 23 over its official capacity of 315, and it was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake. With 69 applications for 41 places, the oversubscription ratio sits at 1.68, meaning nearly seven in ten applicants missed out. All 41 first-preference applicants were offered a place, though, so getting it as your top choice is key. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 7.6%, which is notably low compared with the national average of around 23%, suggesting the school draws from a relatively affluent catchment. The school has nursery provision, so families with very young children can get a foot in the door early. It’s a mixed, non-religious school, and the headteacher is Ross Knaggs.

Academically, Castle Park’s most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024 rated it Good across the board, including for early years provision, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. This was a consistent result compared with its previous Good rating in 2014. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 tests, 53% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the local authority average of 58%. The school ranks 62nd out of 99 primary schools in Westmorland and Furness on this measure, placing it in the bottom half of the LA. Looking at individual subjects, 76% met the expected standard in reading and 68% in writing, while maths was lower at 66%. Higher standard attainment was strongest in reading at 26%, with writing at 24% and maths at 13%. Average scaled scores were 105 in reading and 102 in maths.

The school offers a decent range of facilities, including music rooms, art studios, a sensory room and a chapel, plus outdoor playground space. Sports on offer include athletics, netball, swimming, cross country and rounders, while clubs range from chess and drama to gardening, eco club and science club. For SEND, the school supports children with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent feedback is very strong: 98% of respondents would recommend the school, and 89% strongly agreed their child is happy there. The school suits families who value a well-supported, community-focused primary with a strong pastoral reputation, but who are comfortable with academic results that sit slightly below the local average. Given the oversubscription, early application is essential.

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