Ireleth St Peter's CofE Primary SchoolOfsted report card, 22 Sept 2026

Ireleth St Peter's CofE Primary School

Address: Kirkby Road, Ireleth, Askam-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA16 7EY Unique reference number (URN): 112415

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils attend school regularly. Over several years, attendance has been above the national average. Leaders prioritise attendance and understand why some pupils do not attend as regularly as they should. They work closely with families and access support from external agencies. This helps individual pupils to improve their attendance. As a result, significantly fewer pupils are persistently absent than is the case nationally. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) attend as regularly as their peers nationally. Pupils typically arrive at school on time and are ready to learn.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils behave well. This helps to create a calm, orderly and respectful culture throughout the school. On the whole, pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm, caring and respectful. Staff greet pupils positively at the start of each day and know pupils well. Pupils with SEND benefit from adaptations that help them to understand leaders’ expectations for their behaviour. Pupils who find it difficult to manage their emotions receive helpful guidance from staff. Bullying and any discriminatory behaviour are rare and not tolerated. When concerns arise, staff respond promptly and fairly.

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Early years Expected standard

Children in the early years, including those in the Nursery, get off to a positive start. Since the previous inspection, leaders have reconsidered the early years curriculum. They have clearly identified the knowledge that children should learn and the order in which this learning should take place. Generally, this helps staff to choose activities that help children to learn effectively.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff interact with children warmly and purposefully. Children communicate confidently with staff and with each other. Throughout the day, staff introduce new words. This helps children to build their vocabulary. Staff make checks to find out what children know and can do. Staff adapt activities for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps these children to access the same learning as their friends.

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Early years Expected standard

Reading is prioritised from the start. Children learn the sounds that they need to read words accurately. They use this knowledge to read words and sentences in books matched to their stage of learning. As a result, children develop increasing confidence and fluency in reading. Children who fall behind receive timely support so that they can catch up quickly.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff develop trusting relationships with parents and carers from the start. This helps children to settle quickly and feel secure in school. By the end of Reception, most children are well prepared for Year 1.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders identify pupils’ needs in detail by drawing on information from parents, carers and specialists. This begins when pupils join the school, including in the Nursery. This helps leaders to match the right support to each pupil quickly. Leaders spend additional funding appropriately to support disadvantaged pupils. For example, pupils benefit from working in small groups, so that help reaches the pupils who need it. Leaders use this funding to address barriers to learning and wellbeing. As a result, disadvantaged pupils access the same opportunities as their peers and take a full part in school life.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders make use of specialist support from external agencies, so that pupils receive the help they need. They use this expertise to draw up plans for individual pupils. In the main, these plans help teachers to adapt the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Where pupils face additional challenges, leaders take focused action to secure the right support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff and outside specialists check pupils’ plans regularly and adjust provision as needs change. This means that pupils keep getting help that fits what they need. Pupils with SEND benefit from caring relationships with staff. Most pupils with SEND make suitable progress from their starting points.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils develop a clear sense of right and wrong. They respect the views and beliefs of others, including those from different backgrounds and faiths. Pupils reflect on their own beliefs and experiences through the school’s daily worship. This helps them to think about what they believe and how to treat others. Typically, pupils develop a sound knowledge of fundamental British values. Pupils understand how democracy works, both through pupil parliament elections and by visiting the Houses of Parliament. Pupils take on a range of leadership roles in the school. They serve on the pupil parliament and worship council, and act as buddies for younger pupils. These responsibilities help pupils to develop confidence and a sense of responsibility within their community.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have designed a well-planned personal, social, health and economic education programme. Through this, pupils learn to recognise their emotions, make healthy choices and develop positive relationships with others. Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They know what to do if something makes them feel uncomfortable. Pupils benefit from relationships and health education that is appropriate to their age and stage. This complies with statutory guidance. Staff provide tailored pastoral support for pupils who need it. This helps pupils to settle into school and build friendships.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs, including choir, chess, yoga and knitting. These opportunities help pupils to discover new interests and develop their talents. Older pupils take part in residential visits with a focus on outdoor activities. As a result, they try new experiences and become more independent. Pupils support their local community, for example by singing at a local care home. This helps them to understand the difference they can make to other people’s lives. Leaders check pupils’ participation regularly so that pupils who need support are able to take part. These opportunities help pupils to develop the confidence they need for life in modern Britain.

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Achievement Needs attention

Some pupils are not as well prepared as they could be for their next stage of education. For example, some pupils struggle to produce neat and legible written work. They also continue to make spelling errors over time. These weaknesses limit pupils' ability to communicate their ideas accurately across the curriculum.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils do not consistently develop secure and detailed knowledge across subjects. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. In some subjects, pupils develop secure knowledge. For example, pupils learn how artists create their artwork and use this to inform their own designs. Many pupils work confidently with numbers and use this knowledge to solve mathematical problems.

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Achievement Needs attention

Over time, pupils in Year 6 have had variable results in national curriculum tests. In some subjects and in some years, pupils have achieved above national averages. In others, attainment has been below national averages. This reflects the variability in pupils' achievement across the curriculum.

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Achievement Needs attention

Despite the variability, disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities typically make suitable progress from their starting points.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that sets out the knowledge that pupils should learn. Since the previous inspection, the school has increased the number of classes. As a result, leaders have needed to rethink the order in which some knowledge is taught. This work is at different stages of development across subjects. Where the curriculum is more fully established, teachers build effectively on pupils' prior learning and choose activities that help pupils to remember important knowledge over time. However, this is not yet the case in all subjects. In some areas, teachers are not sufficiently clear about what pupils already know and can do. As a result, learning does not consistently build on prior knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers do not consistently ensure that pupils master the basics of writing. For example, some staff do not routinely identify and address pupils’ mistakes in their handwriting and spelling. Consequently, some pupils continue to make the same mistakes and do not develop accuracy and fluency in their writing as effectively as they should.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Typically, teachers explain new ideas clearly and have secure subject knowledge. Teachers adjust their teaching for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps these pupils to take part in lessons alongside their classmates. Teachers provide targeted support for pupils at the early stages of reading. On the whole, this helps pupils to learn to read accurately.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have identified the weaknesses in curriculum delivery and teaching. They have begun to take action to address these, including the introduction of a new writing programme. However, these actions are at an early stage and have not had a consistent impact on pupils' learning.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The school is experiencing a period of significant change. Several leadership and staffing roles are temporary or newly appointed. Governors have not ensured that leaders are sufficiently supported through this period of transition. While governors have introduced some measures to support leaders, they do not use these consistently or strategically enough to help leaders manage workload and wellbeing effectively.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Despite this, governors fulfil their statutory duties. They hold leaders to account, for example for the school’s financial performance. Leaders have a broadly accurate understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. They have identified the key areas that require improvement and are beginning to take more purposeful action to address them.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Since the previous inspection, leaders have brought about some changes to the curriculum and to teaching. They have also responded to a rising number of pupils by increasing the number of classes from 3 to 4. Leaders work with partner schools and external professionals to support improvement. They provide training to help staff develop their practice, including in relation to handwriting and writing. However, these improvements are at an early stage, and their impact is not yet consistently evident in pupils' achievement across the curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff value the training they receive. Leaders consider the wellbeing and workload of staff when implementing changes. As a result, staff feel valued and are proud to be part of this school community.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders know the school community well and engage positively with parents and carers. This helps families to feel welcome and well supported by the school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy coming to Ireleth St Peter’s CofE Primary School. They appreciate the care and support of the staff around them. Pupils feel connected to each other and to the school community. They are proud of their school and value being part of it. Pupils embody the school’s Christian values in their interactions with their friends. Children in the early years make a positive start to their education.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Most pupils enjoy learning and engage well in lessons. However, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. In some subjects, pupils struggle to recall and apply what they have learned. This is because teaching does not consistently help them to develop the knowledge they need. Some pupils also do not write as clearly as they could. Not all pupils have benefited equally from the improvements that leaders have put in place. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities access the curriculum alongside their peers. Many pupils become confident readers. Most pupils behave well and try their best. Pupils feel happy, cared for and safe. Pupils know whom to talk to if they have any worries. This helps pupils to feel secure. Bullying or any discriminatory behaviour are rare and not tolerated. Pupils come to school regularly.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils appreciate the range of clubs and visits on offer. They enjoy a variety of sports, outdoor learning activities and music. They also appreciate visits that broaden their understanding of the world around them. They value their residential visits and the experiences these bring. They also take on leadership roles and contribute to school life. Through these experiences, pupils learn how to make a positive contribution to their community. These opportunities help pupils to develop confidence, broaden their horizons and prepare them well for life in modern Britain and their next stages of education.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that curriculum sequencing across mixed-age classes is fully established and consistently understood by teachers, so that they can build effectively on pupils' prior learning and help pupils develop secure knowledge across subjects. Leaders should make sure that teachers consistently identify and address errors in pupils’ handwriting and spelling, so that pupils develop greater accuracy and fluency in their writing across the curriculum. Governors should strengthen the support and challenge provided to interim leaders, so that leaders are better supported to manage their workload and wellbeing and can drive school improvement effectively.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Susan Orrell.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

This inspection took place on 22 and 23 September 2026.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the acting headteacher, governors, including the chair of the board of governors, a representative of the local authority and a representative of the diocese. They also spoke with staff and pupils. Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents and carers, pupils and staff.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school: This school is registered as having a Church of England religious character. It is in the Diocese of Carlisle. Its last section 48 inspection was in March 2019.

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About this inspection

The school does not currently make use of alternative provision.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 22 September 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England. The substantive headteacher was absent during the inspection. An acting headteacher, Sarah Kidson, is currently leading the school.

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What does this mean?

Headteacher: Rachael McFarlane National average: 300

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2023/24 (final) 55% 61% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2023/24 (final) 73% 74% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (final) 75% 72% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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gap

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 12.5% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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