Crosthwaite CofE School
Crosthwaite, Kendal, LA8 8HT
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mr Matthew Jessop
- Diocese
- Diocese of Carlisle
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Westmorland and Lonsdale
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 100
- Pupils on roll
- 109
- URN
- 112317
- Local authority
- Westmorland and Furness
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01539568471
About this school
Crosthwaite CofE School is a Church of England voluntary aided primary school in Kendal. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 109 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Crosthwaite CofE 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
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 18 January 2023, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Outstanding. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 12 | 15 | 10 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 67% | 67% | 80% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 25% | 0% | 20% |
| Expected standard in reading | 92% | 73% | 90% |
| Expected standard in maths | 67% | 87% | 90% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 67% | 73% | 80% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 108.0 | 107.0 | 109.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 105.0 | 108.0 |
| Reading progress | +2.10 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +2.00 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.10 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Crosthwaite CofE 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 | Westmorland and Furness average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 67% | 60.6% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 67% | 57% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 80% | 56.5% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.3% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 96 |
| 2023/24 | 103 |
| 2024/25 | 101 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Crosthwaite CofE School compares
Crosthwaite CofE School ranked 11th of 98 primary schools in Westmorland and Furness for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 87% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 95% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 80% | 3.3% | 9.9% | 109 | — |
| Ghyllside Primary School | 78% | 3.7% | 14.7% | 424 | 4.2 miles |
| Vicarage Park CofE Primary School | — | 5.8% | 16.5% | 109 | 4.2 miles |
| Dean Gibson Catholic Primary School, Kendal | 75% | 4.2% | 6.3% | 134 | 4.3 miles |
| Levens CofE School | 38% | 3% | 8% | 98 | 4.3 miles |
| Goodly Dale Primary School | 73% | 5.4% | 13.7% | 77 | 4.5 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)
- 9.89%
- English as an additional language
- 4%
- Overall absence
- 3.34%
- Persistent absence
- 6.33%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Ghyllside Primary School4.2 miles
Primary · Kendal
-
Vicarage Park CofE Primary School4.2 miles
Primary · Kendal
-
Dean Gibson Catholic Primary School, Kendal4.3 miles
Primary · Kendal
-
Levens CofE School4.3 miles
Primary · Kendal
-
Goodly Dale Primary School4.5 miles
Primary · Windermere
Other schools in Kendal
Crosthwaite CofE School ranks 1st of the 13 ranked primary schools in Kendal.
- Castle Park School Primary
- Crosscrake CofE Primary School Primary
- Dean Gibson Catholic Primary School, Kendal Primary
- Ghyllside Primary School Primary
- Grayrigg CofE School Primary
- Heron Hill Primary School Primary
- Levens CofE School Primary
- Old Hutton CofE School Primary
- Selside Endowed CofE Primary School Primary
- St Oswald's CofE Primary School Primary
- St Patrick's CofE School Primary
- St Thomas's CofE Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Crosthwaite CofE School teach?
- Crosthwaite CofE School teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Kendal.
- Who is the headteacher of Crosthwaite CofE School?
- The headteacher of Crosthwaite CofE School is Mr Matthew Jessop, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Crosthwaite CofE School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Crosthwaite CofE 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 Crosthwaite CofE School?
- Crosthwaite CofE School has 109 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is Crosthwaite CofE School full?
- Crosthwaite CofE School has capacity for 100 pupils and 109 on roll (109%), so it is at or above 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 Crosthwaite CofE School a faith school?
- Yes. Crosthwaite CofE School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Carlisle.
- Does Crosthwaite CofE School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Crosthwaite CofE School as having nursery classes.
- How have Crosthwaite CofE School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 67% in 2022/23 and 80% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Crosthwaite CofE School compare with other schools in Westmorland and Furness?
- Crosthwaite CofE School ranked 11th of 98 primary schools in Westmorland and Furness for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 87% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 95% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Crosthwaite CofE School's absence rate?
- Crosthwaite CofE School's overall absence rate is 3.3% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Crosthwaite CofE School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Crosthwaite CofE 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.