Dean Gibson Catholic Primary School, Kendal

About Dean Gibson Catholic Primary School, Kendal

Dean Gibson Catholic Primary School in Kendal holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained consistently across its two most recent inspections. In its 2024 ungraded inspection, the school was confirmed to have remained Good, and the inspection team noted that the early years provision had improved to Outstanding. The most telling academic metric is the Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths expected standard, where 76% of pupils met the benchmark. That is a strong result, sitting well above the Westmorland and Furness local authority average of 58% for primary schools. It places the school 12th out of 99 primaries in the LA, comfortably in the top 25% nationally. The school also performs well on individual subjects: 90% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, 86% in maths, and 81% in writing.

Looking deeper into the 2023/24 KS2 results, the school shows particular strength in reading and maths. The average scaled scores were 110 in reading and 109 in maths, both above the national benchmark of 100. Over half of pupils (52%) achieved the higher standard in reading, and 43% did so in maths, while 14% reached that level in writing. The combined higher standard across all three subjects was 10%. These figures suggest a school that pushes pupils beyond the expected level, especially in literacy and numeracy. The school has no Progress 8 data available, so it is not possible to measure how much value it adds relative to pupils' starting points, but the raw attainment outcomes are clearly above average for the area. The school ranks 14th overall in the LA when including all primary types, and sits just behind top performers like Yarlside Academy and St Mary's Catholic Primary in Ulverston.

The school is a voluntary-aided Roman Catholic primary with a nursery provision for children aged three and above. It has capacity for 210 pupils but currently enrols 155, so there is some room for growth. However, for Reception entry in 2025/26, the school was oversubscribed: 25 applications were received for 11 places, with 10 first-preference offers made. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 2.27, so families should be prepared to apply early and ideally list it as a first preference. The school offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, a sensory room, music rooms, an ICT suite, a gymnasium, and a chapel. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, and other disabilities. Clubs include drama, film club, coding, and science club, and sports on offer are athletics, football, rounders, cricket, dance, and gymnastics. This is a solid, well-regarded local primary for families who value strong academic outcomes within a Catholic ethos.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Dean Gibson Catholic Primary School, Kendal

Helpful Guides for Parents