School Context Comparator
Exam results say a lot about a school's pupils, not just its teaching. A school where many children are disadvantaged or have special educational needs will usually have lower results, even if it's doing a great job. This compares each school with what you'd expect from the pupils it teaches.
Primary and junior schools in Cumberland: SATs results in context
% meeting the expected standard, average of the three years to 2024/25. Each numbered dot is a school (see the table below). Above the line means better results than you'd expect from its pupils; the shaded strip is "about what you'd expect".
- Better than expected
- About as expected
- Below expected
The faint grey dots behind are every other school in England, for comparison.
Outlined in black: the school you compared (marked "Compared" in the table).
Green ring: low teacher turnover – among the quarter of similar schools in England where teachers are most likely to stay (three-year average).
Loading stats for 13,485 schools across England…
Did you know? In a class of 30, one child moves a school's SATs percentage by more than 3 points - which is why we use a three-year average. How this works
How each school compares
| # | School | Compared with what you'd expect | Actual | Expected | Gap | Disadvantaged | SEN | EAL | Pupils(3 years) | Teacher turnover(a year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stoneraise School | Well above | 85% | 64% | +21.1 | 25% | 15% | 0% | 48 | 8% |
| 2 | Irthington Village School | Well above | 88% | 68% | +19.9 | 0% | 22% | 0% | 32 | 0% |
| 3 | Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School | Well above | 85% | 65% | +19.8 | 7% | 27% | 0% | 65 | 5% |
| 4 | Bookwell Primary School | Well above | 81% | 64% | +17.1 | 20% | 20% | 0% | 89 | 4% |
| 5 | St Mary's Catholic Primary School | Well above | 78% | 62% | +16.0 | 36% | 12% | 0% | 76 | 17% |
| 6 | St Bridget's Catholic Primary School | Well above | 69% | 56% | +13.2 | 27% | 46% | 0% | 70 | 4% |
| 7 | Westfield Nursery and Primary School | Well above | 62% | 50% | +12.5 | 71% | 29% | 0% | 71 | 18% |
| 8 | St James' CofE Junior School | Well above | 76% | 64% | +11.7 | 21% | 18% | 3% | 121 | 4% |
| 9 | Jericho Primary School | Above | 80% | 69% | +10.6 | 6% | 11% | 0% | 171 | 18%above average |
| 10 | Crosby-on-Eden CofE School | Above | 84% | 74% | +10.5 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 32 | 8% |
| 11 | Great Corby School and Nursery | Above | 74% | 64% | +10.2 | 7% | 33% | 0% | 46 | 6% |
| 12 | Richmond Hill School | Above | 66% | 56% | +9.8 | 55% | 17% | 0% | 73 | 3% |
| 13 | St Patrick's Catholic Primary School Compared | Above | 65% | 56% | +9.3 | 42% | 33% | 3% | 113 | 18%above average |
| 14 | St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School | Above | 68% | 60% | +8.5 | 55% | 9% | 18% | 41 | 2% |
| 15 | Broughton Primary School | Above | 72% | 65% | +7.5 | 22% | 17% | 6% | 60 | 9% |
| 16 | Eaglesfield Paddle CofE Primary Academy | Above | 76% | 69% | +6.8 | 4% | 15% | 4% | 82 | 16% |
| 17 | St Mary's Catholic Primary School | Above | 63% | 56% | +6.8 | 52% | 21% | 3% | 71 | 26%high |
| 18 | Derwent Vale Primary and Nursery School | Above | 68% | 61% | +6.6 | 17% | 33% | 0% | 38 | 14% |
| 19 | Fairfield Primary School | Above | 73% | 68% | +5.4 | 9% | 17% | 6% | 172 | 11%below average |
| 20 | Lanercost CofE Primary School | Above | 73% | 68% | +5.4 | 9% | 18% | 9% | 37 | 24% |
| 21 | St James' Catholic Primary School | Above | 65% | 60% | +5.0 | 25% | 32% | 4% | 82 | 15% |
| 22 | Moresby Primary School | As expected | 69% | 65% | +3.9 | 20% | 15% | 0% | 49 | 20% |
| 23 | Hayton CofE Primary School | As expected | 69% | 66% | +3.2 | 12% | 20% | 0% | 62 | 0% |
| 24 | Brampton Primary School | As expected | 63% | 60% | +3.0 | 37% | 20% | 3% | 96 | 11%below average |
| 25 | Rockcliffe CofE School | As expected | 62% | 59% | +2.8 | 21% | 38% | 0% | 66 | 13% |
| 26 | St Margaret Mary Catholic Primary School, Carlisle | As expected | 63% | 61% | +1.9 | 34% | 24% | 21% | 90 | 21%high |
| 27 | Scotby CofE Primary School | As expected | 69% | 68% | +1.4 | 5% | 20% | 2% | 109 | 7%low |
| 28 | Houghton CofE School | As expected | 65% | 64% | +1.2 | 11% | 29% | 0% | 80 | 10% |
| 29 | Our Lady and St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Maryport | As expected | 65% | 64% | +1.0 | 29% | 18% | 25% | 86 | 15%above average |
| 30 | St Bridget's CofE School | As expected | 50% | 49% | +0.6 | 45% | 55% | 0% | 32 | 3% |
| 31 | Longtown Primary School | As expected | 63% | 63% | +0.3 | 29% | 16% | 0% | 82 | 38% |
| 32 | Thursby Primary School | As expected | 69% | 69% | −0.2 | 5% | 16% | 11% | 58 | 16% |
| 33 | Pennine Way Primary School | As expected | 60% | 61% | −0.6 | 43% | 13% | 7% | 182 | 14%below average |
| 34 | Gosforth CofE Primary School and Nursery | As expected | 71% | 72% | −1.0 | 0% | 6% | 0% | 55 | 5% |
| 35 | Haverigg Primary School | As expected | 61% | 63% | −1.6 | 15% | 30% | 0% | 67 | 12% |
| 36 | Belle Vue Primary School | As expected | 66% | 68% | −1.9 | 16% | 8% | 2% | 192 | 7%low |
| 37 | Beckstone Primary School | As expected | 61% | 63% | −2.4 | 18% | 24% | 0% | 140 | 14%below average |
| 38 | Upperby Primary School | Below | 53% | 58% | −4.8 | 57% | 10% | 4% | 173 | 6%low |
| 39 | Wreay Church of England Primary School | As expected | 63% | 68% | −4.9 | 8% | 15% | 0% | 46 | 29% |
| 40 | Kingmoor Junior School | Below | 64% | 69% | −5.2 | 12% | 9% | 11% | 254 | 6%low |
| 41 | St Patrick's Catholic Primary School | Below | 61% | 67% | −5.5 | 25% | 9% | 16% | 93 | 21% |
| 42 | Newtown Primary School | Below | 44% | 50% | −5.9 | 73% | 30% | 15% | 66 | 25% |
| 43 | Norman Street Primary School | Below | 56% | 63% | −6.6 | 26% | 22% | 9% | 153 | 10%below average |
| 44 | St Begh's Catholic Junior School | Below | 54% | 61% | −7.4 | 38% | 13% | 2% | 166 | 19%above average |
| 45 | St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, Workington | Below | 46% | 55% | −8.5 | 50% | 30% | 3% | 78 | 22% |
| 46 | Ashfield Junior School | Below | 53% | 62% | −8.6 | 25% | 25% | 2% | 191 | 9%low |
| 47 | Dean CofE School | Below | 50% | 60% | −10.4 | 18% | 36% | 0% | 30 | 33% |
| 48 | Maryport CofE Primary School | Below | 59% | 70% | −10.5 | 7% | 10% | 2% | 108 | 6%low |
| 49 | Caldew Lea School | Below | 54% | 65% | −10.8 | 36% | 9% | 29% | 114 | 25% |
| 50 | St Herbert's CofE (VA) Primary and Nursery School | Below | 53% | 64% | −11.3 | 19% | 19% | 0% | 131 | 15%above average |
| 51 | Valley Primary School and Nursery | Below | 44% | 56% | −11.6 | 33% | 42% | 3% | 107 | 0%low |
| 52 | Beckermet CofE School | Below | 55% | 67% | −11.9 | 0% | 30% | 10% | 38 | 35% |
| 53 | St Bees Village Primary School | Below | 50% | 62% | −11.9 | 13% | 35% | 0% | 68 | 56% |
| 54 | The Bishop Harvey Goodwin School (Church of England Voluntary Aided) | Well below | 41% | 53% | −12.3 | 61% | 26% | 9% | 79 | 9% |
| 55 | St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Carlisle | Well below | 50% | 63% | −13.1 | 35% | 25% | 55% | 64 | 22% |
| 56 | Dearham Primary School | Well below | 50% | 63% | −13.4 | 30% | 12% | 0% | 100 | 24%high |
| 57 | Bransty Primary School | Well below | 47% | 61% | −13.5 | 22% | 33% | 4% | 93 | 7% |
| 58 | Yewdale School | Well below | 51% | 65% | −14.0 | 18% | 18% | 3% | 130 | 18%above average |
| 59 | Ewanrigg Junior School | Well below | 38% | 52% | −14.1 | 66% | 24% | 3% | 95 | 6% |
| 60 | Seaton St. Paul's CofE Junior School | Well below | 50% | 64% | −14.4 | 25% | 13% | 0% | 160 | 6%low |
| 61 | Silloth Primary School | Well below | 49% | 63% | −14.4 | 27% | 15% | 0% | 79 | 22% |
| 62 | Kirkbampton CofE School | Well below | 53% | 68% | −14.5 | 19% | 6% | 0% | 38 | 11% |
| 63 | St Bede's Catholic Primary School | Well below | 45% | 60% | −14.5 | 37% | 30% | 30% | 89 | 21%high |
| 64 | Flimby Primary School | Well below | 48% | 63% | −15.0 | 35% | 9% | 0% | 60 | 10% |
| 65 | Cumwhinton School | Well below | 51% | 66% | −15.2 | 10% | 20% | 0% | 75 | 25% |
| 66 | Hensingham Primary School | Well below | 45% | 60% | −15.4 | 25% | 33% | 13% | 67 | 31% |
| 67 | Moor Row Community Primary School | Well below | 47% | 62% | −15.4 | 23% | 23% | 0% | 32 | 0% |
| 68 | Distington Community School | Well below | 47% | 63% | −15.8 | 45% | 0% | 0% | 36 | 34% |
| 69 | Stanwix School | Well below | 55% | 71% | −15.8 | 9% | 5% | 9% | 191 | 12%below average |
| 70 | Robert Ferguson Primary School | Well below | 48% | 64% | −16.1 | 23% | 20% | 13% | 181 | 5%low |
| 71 | Montreal CofE Primary School | Well below | 37% | 54% | −16.8 | 56% | 28% | 6% | 62 | 24% |
| 72 | Newlaithes Junior School | Well below | 49% | 66% | −17.2 | 13% | 18% | 2% | 179 | 14%above average |
| 73 | Kirkbride Primary School | Well below | 41% | 58% | −17.3 | 25% | 38% | 0% | 32 | 12% |
| 74 | Frizington Community Primary School | Well below | 48% | 66% | −17.5 | 25% | 10% | 5% | 65 | 8% |
| 75 | Warwick Bridge Primary School | Well below | 48% | 66% | −17.8 | 14% | 18% | 0% | 54 | 6% |
| 76 | Thomlinson Junior School | Well below | 47% | 65% | −18.4 | 14% | 20% | 2% | 176 | 3%low |
| 77 | Inglewood Junior School | Well below | 42% | 61% | −18.7 | 38% | 20% | 16% | 193 | 5%low |
| 78 | Black Combe Junior School | Well below | 40% | 59% | −18.8 | 33% | 28% | 0% | 87 | 14% |
| 79 | St Michael's CofE Primary School | Well below | 47% | 66% | −18.8 | 16% | 16% | 0% | 92 | 9% |
| 80 | Monkwray Junior School | Well below | 41% | 60% | −18.9 | 41% | 19% | 11% | 79 | 14% |
| 81 | Boltons CofE School | Well below | 47% | 67% | −19.9 | 0% | 27% | 0% | 36 | 5% |
| 82 | Orgill Primary School | Well below | 38% | 59% | −21.0 | 34% | 27% | 2% | 106 | 21%high |
| 83 | Burgh by Sands School | Well below | 51% | 74% | −22.5 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 39 | 18% |
| 84 | Seascale Primary School | Well below | 40% | 64% | −24.2 | 15% | 25% | 5% | 62 | 15% |
| 85 | St Bridget's CofE School | Well below | 39% | 66% | −26.6 | 20% | 13% | 0% | 31 | 4% |
| 86 | Cummersdale School | Well below | 46% | 74% | −28.4 | 0% | 0% | 13% | 46 | 11% |
| 87 | Brook Street Primary School | Well below | 40% | 70% | −29.7 | 27% | 7% | 60% | 82 | 3%low |
| 88 | Fir Ends Primary School | Well below | 37% | 69% | −32.3 | 0% | 17% | 0% | 38 | 5% |
| 89 | Victoria Junior School | Well below | 25% | 58% | −32.5 | 37% | 32% | 8% | 198 | 6%low |
Results are the average of the last three Year 6 groups, which is steadier than a single year. Pupil percentages are for the latest Year 6. Disadvantaged: eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years, or looked after by the council. SEN: special educational needs (SEN support or an EHC plan). EAL: English as an additional language.
Not compared
- Blackford CofE Primary School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 35%)
- Blennerhasset School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 34%)
- Bowness-on-Solway Primary School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 87%)
- Braithwaite CofE Primary School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 45%)
- Castle Carrock School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 68%)
- Crosscanonby St John's CofE School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 32%)
- Ennerdale and Kinniside CofE Primary School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 63%)
- Fellview Primary School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 33%)
- Hallbankgate Village School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 26%)
- Holm Cultram Abbey CofE Primary School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 25%)
- Lorton School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 54%)
- Lowca Community School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 41%)
- Northside Primary School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 33%)
- Plumbland CofE School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 59%)
- Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 72%)
- Rosley CofE School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 64%)
- Shankhill CofE Primary School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 89%)
- St Matthew's CofE School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 58%)
- Thwaites School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 44%)
- Waberthwaite CofE School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 47%)
- Wiggonby CofE School – Too few pupils to compare fairly (SATs: 72%)
How this works
We call these Companion Results. Read the plain-English explainer →
We looked at every comparable state primary and junior school in England (14,315 schools) to see how SATs results usually change with the make-up of a year group. On average:
- For every 10 more disadvantaged pupils in every 100, the share meeting the expected standard is about 2.4 percentage points lower.
- For every 10 more pupils with SEN in every 100, it's about 2.4 percentage points lower.
- For every 10 more pupils with English as an additional language in every 100, it's about 0.7 percentage points higher. Pupils learning English often catch up quickly.
From those, each school gets an expected result for its own pupils, which we compare with its actual result. Primary year groups are small – in a class of 30, one child moves the percentage by more than 3 points – so we use the three-year average and allow for each school's own pupil numbers: a small school needs a bigger gap before we call it above or below what you'd expect.
What we found: schools where teachers stay
We put every primary and junior school's result-against-expected next to its teacher turnover – the share of its teachers who moved to another school or left state schools each year, averaged over three years (DfE school workforce census). Across 8,274 schools in England, split into four equal groups by turnover:
| Teacher turnover | Typical turnover | Results vs expected | Did better than expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest turnover | 7% a year | +1.8 pts | 40% |
| Lower-middle | 12% a year | +1.2 pts | 37% |
| Upper-middle | 17% a year | +0.7 pts | 36% |
| Highest turnover | 26% a year | −1.2 pts | 32% |
The pattern is the same as for secondary schools but weaker, and most of the difference is in the quarter of schools where teachers leave most often (−1.2 percentage points, against +1.8 for the lowest-turnover quarter). Primary staffs are small and SATs results move around from year to year, which blurs the picture.
A link isn't proof that one causes the other: losing teachers may hold results back, and a school that's struggling for other reasons (leadership, for example) may also lose more teachers. Nationally, turnover is fairly steady from year to year and teachers who move are replaced – but between schools it varies a lot, from under one teacher in ten a year to more than one in five. The green rings on the chart mark the lowest-turnover quarter.
What it can't tell you
- These three things explain only about 18% of the differences between schools. Much of what makes a school stronger or weaker, and much about its pupils, isn't captured by any published figure.
- Even averaged over three years, small schools' results move around a lot, so treat close calls as roughly equal.
- It isn't an excuse for lower results. It shows how a school does compared with schools teaching similar pupils, so you can compare more fairly.
- We deliberately don't adjust for attendance or exclusions: those are partly down to the school itself.
Source: Department for Education, Key Stage 2 performance data (2024/25). Calculated by The School Companion.