Shankhill CofE Primary School

Voluntary controlled school · Primary, ages 3 to 11 · Mixed · Church of England · Nursery class

Hethersgill, Carlisle, CA6 6JA

01228 577264 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedGoodInspected 4 February 2015; confirmed, may be improving 2024
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths83%England 62% · 2024/25
Pupils44Room for 64 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 39 in 2019, 50 in 2021, 42 in 2022, 47 in 2023, 46 in 2024, 43 in 2025, 44 in 2026. Across England, primary state school pupil numbers were down 4% from 2019 to 2025.
First-choice applications per place1.07 for 7 places, September 2026
Joint 5th highest of 42 state primary schools in Carlisle.
Higher than 52% of 15,826 state primary schools in England.

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 4 February 2015.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationGood
Outcomes for pupilsGood
Leadership and managementGood
Early yearsGood

Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 26 March 2024: Ofsted found the school was still Good and may be improving, so its next inspection will be a full graded one.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

23 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 1 January 2024 and 6 January 2025.

Carlisle comparisons use the 20 of its 45 state primary schools with comparable results. The other 25 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.

StatementThis schoolCarlisleEngland
My child is happy at this school
Joint 1st highest of 20 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Carlisle.
Higher than 82% of 8,868 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England.
100% 97% 88%
My child feels safe at this school
Joint 1st highest of 20 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Carlisle.
Higher than 80% of 8,868 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England.
100% 97% 90%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved
Joint 1st highest of 20 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Carlisle.
Higher than 90% of 8,868 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England.
100% 94% 84%
Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 12 parents who had raised a concern
Joint 6th highest of 18 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Carlisle.
Higher than 79% of 8,398 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England.
92% 88% 76%
I would recommend this school to another parent
Joint 1st highest of 20 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Carlisle.
Higher than 90% of 8,868 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England.
100%said yes 94% 84%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families. Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Carlisle figures pool parents at the Carlisle schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

6 pupils in this year group.

Only 6 pupils took these tests, so results can change a lot from year to year. Compare with care.

83% — 27 points above the Cumberland average, and 21 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolCumberlandEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 83% 56% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths 17% 5% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading 100% 72% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing 83% 68% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths 83% 69% 74%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. 110 105 106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. 107 103 105
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time
50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% England 2022/23: 60%England 2023/24: 61%England 2024/25: 62% This school 2023/24: 86%This school 2024/25: 83% This school England 62% 2022/23 – 2023/24 86% 2024/25 83%

Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Cumberland. The national closing date for primary applications is 15 January, and offers are sent on 16 April.

How hard is it to get in?

For the September 2026 intake there were about one first-choice application for every place.

Places offered7
Families who put it first7
Of those, offered a place7 (100%)
Families who listed it at all16

First-choice applications per place: 2024: 1.0 · 2025: 1.0 · 2026: 1.0

This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.

This is a Church of England school, but as a voluntary controlled school its admissions are set by the council, which usually doesn't prioritise by faith. Check the council's admissions criteria.

Admissions dates and schools in Cumberland

Pupils, staff and SEND

PupilsThis schoolCumberlandEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years
16th highest of 45 state primary schools in Carlisle.
Higher than 52% of 16,656 state primary schools in England.
22.2% 22.8%* 26.3%
With an education, health and care plan
Joint 43rd highest of 45 state primary schools in Carlisle.
Higher than 0% of 16,656 state primary schools in England.
0.0% 4.3%* 3.5%
Receiving special educational needs support
25th highest of 45 state primary schools in Carlisle.
Higher than 31% of 16,656 state primary schools in England.
11.6% 13.3%* 15.0%
English as an additional language
Joint 36th highest of 45 state primary schools in Carlisle.
Higher than 0% of 16,656 state primary schools in England.
0.0% 6.5%* 23.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed)
Joint 11th lowest of 45 state primary schools in Carlisle.
Lower than 88% of 16,640 state primary schools in England.
3.7% 4.8%* 5.2%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more)
7th lowest of 45 state primary schools in Carlisle.
Lower than 96% of 16,640 state primary schools in England.
3.5% 10.3%* 13.0%
Suspensions per 100 pupils
Joint 1st lowest of 45 state primary schools in Carlisle.
Lower than 69% of 16,651 state primary schools in England.
0.0 1.6 2.5
Pupils suspended at least once
Joint 1st lowest of 45 state primary schools in Carlisle.
Lower than 69% of 16,651 state primary schools in England.
0.0% 0.8% 1.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.04% 0.03%
Pupils per teacher
41st highest of 45 state primary schools in Carlisle.
Higher than 6% of 16,642 state primary schools in England.
14.2 19.0 20.7
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff)
Joint 24th highest of 45 state primary schools in Carlisle.
Higher than 35% of 16,653 state primary schools in England.
9.9 9.6 10.6

Comparisons are with primary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26.

Questions parents ask

What is Shankhill CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Shankhill CofE Primary School was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 4 February 2015. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 26 March 2024, Ofsted found the school was still Good and may be improving, so its next inspection will be a full graded one.

How did Shankhill CofE Primary School do in its SATs?

In 2024/25, 83% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, 21 points above the England average of 62%.

Would parents recommend Shankhill CofE Primary School?

100% of the 23 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 1 January 2024 and 6 January 2025 said they would recommend Shankhill CofE Primary School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Is Shankhill CofE Primary School oversubscribed?

For the September 2026 intake, 7 families put Shankhill CofE Primary School as their first choice for 7 places: about one first-choice application for every place. 7 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.

Sources

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Page updated 26 September 2026.