Lazonby C of E Primary School

About Lazonby C of E Primary School

Lazonby C of E Primary School sits comfortably above the local authority average for its key stage 2 outcomes, with 67% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Westmorland and Furness average of 58%. That nine-point gap puts the school in the top half of primary schools in the area — ranked 36th out of 121 — and it lands within the top 50% nationally too. The school is oversubscribed, with nine first-preference offers made for nine places and 20 total applications, which gives an oversubscription ratio of 2.22. That level of demand suggests local families see something worth securing. The school is a Church of England primary, led by headteacher Andrew Davies, and it caters for children from age 3 through to 11, with nursery provision on site. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2023, rated it Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — a clean sweep that matches its previous Good rating from 2012.

Digging into the detail of the 2023/24 key stage 2 results, the school’s strongest subject was writing, where 92% of pupils reached the expected standard and 42% achieved a higher score. Reading followed with 83% at expected and 25% at higher, while maths saw 75% at expected and 25% at higher. The average scaled scores for reading and maths were both 106, which is above the national benchmark of 100. Only 8% of pupils reached the higher standard across all three subjects, which is a modest figure but not unusual for a small school — Lazonby has just 112 pupils on roll, well above its official capacity of 105. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 7.2%, below the national average, which may partly explain the above-average outcomes. The school’s Ofsted report noted Good ratings for behaviour and attitudes and personal development, and inspectors judged early years provision as Good too, which gives some reassurance for families with younger children considering the nursery.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including a library, art studios, music rooms, a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields and a chapel. Sports on offer include tennis, football, cricket, swimming, athletics and cross country, and there are clubs for science, film, coding and art. For children with additional needs, the school has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. The oversubscription ratio of 2.22 means it is not the most competitive primary in the area — Yarlside Academy, for instance, tops the local rankings — but it is clearly a popular choice. This is a school that suits families who want strong but not exceptional academic results in a village setting, with a Church of England character and a broad-enough extracurricular offer for a small primary. The fact that it is oversubscribed but not wildly so suggests it is achievable for most local applicants who make it their first preference.

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