Eaglesfield Paddle CofE Primary Academy

About Eaglesfield Paddle CofE Primary Academy

Eaglesfield Paddle CofE Primary Academy is a popular choice among local families, with 73 applications for just 25 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving it an oversubscription ratio of 2.92. Every one of those 25 places went to a first-preference applicant, which suggests strong confidence from parents who live nearby. The school is a Church of England primary for children aged 0 to 11, with nursery provision on site, and is led by headteacher Dawn Watson. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2023, the school was rated Good overall, with Outstanding marks for both personal development and behaviour and attitudes. That’s a notable shift from its previous inspection in 2008, when it was rated Outstanding across the board. The early years provision and leadership and management were both judged Good, so the school has maintained a solid standard even if the overall grade has stepped down slightly.

Academically, Eaglesfield Paddle performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 68% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Cumberland average of 54%. That places the school 21st out of 144 primary schools in the local authority, and 20th when ranked by the same metric. In writing, 93% of pupils met the expected standard, and 29% reached the higher standard. Reading and maths both saw 71% and 79% of pupils at expected levels respectively, with average scores of 104 and 105. The school doesn’t publish progress scores for these subjects, but the attainment figures alone put it in the top 50 nationally by this measure. It ranks 720th out of 2,065 primary schools in the North West region.

The school is well equipped for a relatively small setting of 197 pupils, with a capacity of 262. Facilities include a sports hall, playing fields, an ICT suite, art studios, a library, a gymnasium and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, netball, tennis, cricket, rounders and dance, while clubs range from gardening and art to chess, book club, film club and choir. The school also has a Forest School programme. For children with additional needs, it supports a range of SEND categories, including specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional challenges, and autistic spectrum disorder. With just 4.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is relatively advantaged. This is a school that suits families who value strong behaviour, a clear Church of England ethos, and a broad range of extracurricular activities alongside solid academic results.

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