St Paul's CofE Junior School

About St Paul's CofE Junior School

St Paul's CofE Junior School in Westmorland and Furness serves just 76 pupils aged 7 to 11, well below its capacity of 120. Its headline Key Stage 2 metric — the percentage of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — sits at 55%, which is three points below the local authority average of 58% for primary schools. That places the school in the bottom half of the LA's 99 primaries, ranked 57th, and in the bottom 50% nationally. The gap is modest but consistent: while 86% of pupils met the expected standard in reading alone, and 77% in maths, the combined figure drops sharply, suggesting that writing may be the weaker link. Only 5% of pupils reached the higher standard in both writing and the combined RWM measure, compared with 32% in reading and 18% in maths. The school's average reading scaled score of 107 and maths score of 104 are solid, but the combined result tells a more cautious story for parents focused on overall attainment.

The school's most recent graded Ofsted inspection, in 2014, rated it Good overall, with Good for leadership and management. A subsequent ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed that the school "remains Good". The previous graded inspection in 2009 also awarded Good, so the school has held a consistent rating across three inspections. Progress scores for reading, writing and maths are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 10.5%, which is slightly below the national average for primary schools. In the local authority, six primaries hold an Outstanding rating; the nearest is Victoria Academy, just 0.6 km away, which may be a relevant comparison for families weighing their options.

Facilities include a sports hall, playing fields, an ICT suite, a sensory room, art studios, a library and a chapel. The school offers clubs such as choir, book club, chess, gardening and science club, plus sports including cross country, football, dance and cricket. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and multi-sensory impairment. With a small roll and a Church of England character, this is a school that may suit families looking for a close-knit, faith-based setting where the combined RWM figure is slightly below the LA norm but individual reading and maths scores are respectable. Oversubscription data is not available, but the gap between capacity and current numbers suggests there is likely to be space for applicants.

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