Great Orton Primary School
Great Orton, Carlisle, CA5 6NA
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Community school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mr Matthew Walker
- Constituency
- Penrith and Solway
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 70
- Pupils on roll
- 35
- URN
- 112110
- Local authority
- Cumberland
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01228711602
About this school
Great Orton Primary School is a community primary school in Carlisle. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 35 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Great Orton Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 3 | 10 | 3 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | - | 40% | - |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | - | 0% | - |
| Expected standard in reading | - | 60% | - |
| Expected standard in maths | - | 90% | - |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | - | 60% | - |
| Average scaled score in reading | - | 101.0 | - |
| Average scaled score in maths | - | 104.0 | - |
Trends over time
How Great Orton Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 10.3% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 8.9% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 30 |
| 2023/24 | 41 |
| 2024/25 | 33 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Great Orton Primary School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 12% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 8.9% | 42.4% | 35 | — |
| Kirkbampton CofE School | 63% | 2.9% | 10.3% | 94 | 2.0 miles |
| Wiggonby CofE School | 75% | 5.7% | 3.9% | 61 | 2.1 miles |
| Thursby Primary School | 74% | 4.5% | 19.8% | 110 | 2.4 miles |
| Yewdale School | 68% | 5.3% | 18.5% | 266 | 2.7 miles |
| Burgh by Sands School | 50% | 2.1% | 4.9% | 91 | 3.1 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 42.42%
- English as an additional language
- 6.1%
- Overall absence
- 8.87%
- Persistent absence
- 23.33%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Kirkbampton CofE School2.0 miles
Primary · Carlisle
-
Wiggonby CofE School2.1 miles
Primary · Wigton
-
Thursby Primary School2.4 miles
Primary · Carlisle
-
Yewdale School2.7 miles
Primary · Carlisle
-
Burgh by Sands School3.1 miles
Primary · Carlisle
Other schools in Carlisle
- Armathwaite School Primary
- Belle Vue Primary School Primary
- Bewcastle School Primary
- Blackford CofE Primary School Primary
- Brook Street Primary School Primary
- Burgh by Sands School Primary
- Caldew Lea School Primary
- Crosby-on-Eden CofE School Primary
- Cummersdale School Primary
- Cumwhinton School Primary
- Great Corby School and Nursery Primary
- High Hesket CofE School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Great Orton Primary School teach?
- Great Orton Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Carlisle.
- Who is the headteacher of Great Orton Primary School?
- The headteacher of Great Orton Primary School is Mr Matthew Walker, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Great Orton Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Great Orton Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Great Orton Primary School?
- Great Orton Primary School has 35 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Great Orton Primary School full?
- Great Orton Primary School has capacity for 70 pupils and 35 on roll (50%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Great Orton Primary School a faith school?
- No. Great Orton Primary School has no designated religious character.
- Does Great Orton Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Great Orton Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- What is Great Orton Primary School's absence rate?
- Great Orton Primary School's overall absence rate is 8.9% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Great Orton Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Great Orton Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 29 June 2026.