Hensingham Primary School

About Hensingham Primary School

Hensingham Primary School in Cumberland was rated Good by Ofsted in its most recent inspection in 2024, a significant turnaround from its previous Inadequate rating in 2019. The school now receives Good marks across every category inspected: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. On the most telling exam metric for a primary school, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined stands at 40%. That figure sits below the Cumberland local authority average of 54%, placing the school 88th out of 111 similar schools in the area. However, the picture is more nuanced when you look at individual subjects. Reading is a relative strength, with 72% of pupils meeting the expected standard and 28% achieving a higher score, while the average reading score of 104 is comfortably above the national benchmark of 100.

Maths tells a different story: only 52% of pupils reached the expected standard, and just 8% achieved a higher score, though the average maths score of 100 is exactly in line with the national average. Writing sits in the middle, with 60% at the expected level and 8% at a higher level. The school's progress scores for reading, writing and maths are not available in the data, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. Nationally, Hensingham ranks in the bottom 50% of primary schools on the combined expected standard metric, at the 91st percentile. The school has a relatively small cohort of 133 pupils against a capacity of 210, and 27.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average and may partly explain the lower headline results.

The school offers a nursery provision for children from age three, and its facilities include a dining hall, ICT suite, art studios, a sensory room, an outdoor playground and a chapel. Sports on offer are tennis, football, gymnastics and cricket, while clubs include coding, book club and eco club. For children with additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: there were 19 applications for 8 places, with all 8 first-preference applicants receiving offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.38. This suggests a school that, despite modest academic outcomes, is valued by local families for its inclusive approach, small size and the range of support it offers. It may particularly suit parents looking for a community primary with strong early years and SEND provision, rather than one focused on pushing for the highest academic results.

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