Stanwix School

About Stanwix School

Stanwix School is a state primary in Cumberland that currently educates 379 pupils against a capacity of 436, meaning it has room to grow but is clearly in demand. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 106 applications for 51 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 2.08 applicants per place. Of those, 48 families listed it as their first preference and all received offers, suggesting that while competition exists, most who really want a place get one. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 9.8%, notably lower than the national average of around 23%, indicating a relatively affluent intake. The school is non-denominational and co-educational, taking children from age 4 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form provision. Its headteacher is Darren Glynn, and the school was last inspected by Ofsted in 2023, when it was judged to remain Good.

Academically, Stanwix delivers solid but not outstanding results. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 55% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, just above the Cumberland local authority average of 54%. This places the school 57th out of 111 primary schools in the area, squarely in the middle of the pack. Individual subject scores are stronger in reading, where 82% met the expected standard and 27% achieved a higher score, compared with maths where 73% met the expected standard and 23% reached the higher threshold. Writing is weaker, with 68% at expected and only 8% at the higher level. Average scaled scores were 105 in reading and 104 in maths. Nationally, Stanwix ranks in the bottom half of schools on the combined expected standard metric, sitting at the 68th percentile. Its most recent graded inspection in 2013 rated overall effectiveness as Good, with leadership and management also Good, and the 2023 ungraded visit confirmed the school remains Good.

The school offers a strong range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, gymnasium, music rooms, art studios, a sensory room, playing fields, a forest school area and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, gymnastics, cricket and rounders, while clubs include science, coding, art and gardening. For children with additional needs, Stanwix has identified provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication difficulties, and physical disabilities. This breadth of support, combined with the school’s manageable size and good facilities, makes it a practical choice for families in the Carlisle area who want a well-resourced primary with a balanced intake and solid academic outcomes, particularly if they value reading progress and a wide range of enrichment activities.

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