Moresby Primary School

About Moresby Primary School

Moresby Primary School in Cumberland was rated Good by Ofsted following its most recent graded inspection in 2014, and an ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed the school remains Good. This represents a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2013, when the school was judged to require improvement overall, with leadership and management also rated as requiring improvement. The most telling exam metric for this small primary is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which stands at 67%. That figure is well above the Cumberland local authority average of 54%, placing Moresby 26th out of 111 primary schools in the area and in the top 50 nationally for this measure. The school’s ranking score of 67 puts it in the top quarter of schools nationally, though it sits behind local peers like Jericho Primary and Irthington Village School, which scored 89 and 88 respectively.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, Moresby’s strengths are clearest in reading, where 87% of pupils met the expected standard and 27% reached the higher standard. In maths, 80% met the expected standard and 20% achieved the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 104. Writing is a relative weak spot: only 7% of pupils reached the higher standard, the same proportion as those hitting the higher bar in reading, writing and maths combined. The school has no published progress scores for reading, writing or maths, so it is not possible to say how much value it adds relative to pupils’ starting points. However, the overall attainment picture is solid, with the school outperforming the Cumberland average by 13 percentage points on the combined expected standard. Only five of the 144 primary schools in the local authority are rated Outstanding, so a Good rating with above-average results places Moresby in a strong position locally.

Moresby is a state primary for mixed genders aged 3 to 11, with nursery provision on site. It is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 academic year, there were 40 applications for 19 places, with all 19 first-preference applicants offered a spot, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.11. The school has 122 pupils against a capacity of 105, so it is running over its official number. Facilities include a forest school, sensory room, music rooms, art studios, an ICT suite and a chapel. Sports on offer are football, cricket, rounders, dance and netball, while clubs include chess, art, gardening, drama, eco club and book club. The school supports children with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. With just 7.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively affluent catchment. It is a good fit for families who want a well-regarded local primary with strong core results, a broad range of enrichment activities and a clear track record of improvement.

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