Pennington CofE School

About Pennington CofE School

If you're a parent in Westmorland and Furness weighing up primary options, the feedback from other families at Pennington CofE School is strikingly positive. In the most recent Parent View survey, 98% of respondents said they would recommend the school, a figure based on 50 responses collected between September 2024 and September 2025. That sense of confidence is backed by strong individual scores: 96% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 98% felt their child is safe. The school is also clearly in demand — for the 2025/26 academic year, it received 66 applications for just 29 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.28. Of those, 28 were first-preference applications, and all 28 received offers, suggesting that for families who put it top of their list, the odds are reasonable but not guaranteed.

Academically, Pennington CofE School performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Westmorland and Furness average of 58%. That places the school 23rd out of 99 primary schools in the local authority, putting it in the top quarter. Pupils also achieved strong average scores of 107 in maths and 106 in reading, and 86% met the expected standard in maths specifically. At the higher end, 38% of pupils reached a higher standard in reading and 33% in maths, though the combined higher figure was 5%. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in April 2025, confirmed that standards are being maintained, with a Good rating across all categories including behaviour, personal development and early years provision.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for a primary of 202 pupils, including a Forest School, sports hall, chapel and outdoor playground. Clubs such as chess, coding, gardening and science club give children plenty to get stuck into beyond the classroom, and sports include swimming, cricket, netball and athletics. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder — though the Parent View data on SEND support had no responses, so it's worth asking the school directly about this. With a Church of England character and a headteacher in Helen Storey, Pennington is a good fit for families who want a well-regarded, oversubscribed village primary with strong academic outcomes and a clear sense of community.

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