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Schools in Distington

A town in Cumberland

  • Town
  • 5 schools and nurseries
  • 621 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are below England, and results at 16 were below England in 2026. Missing school is a bigger problem than across England.

Three children with backpacks crossing a street
A red-brick school building under a blue sky

Distington at a glance

Behind England on results at 11

How Distington's schools compare with England, area by area.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries51 primary · 1 secondary · 1 nursery
  • Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 119%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths9%Attainment 8 22.5, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary43%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school29%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Distington

Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.

All Distington primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Distington

1 mainstream schools in Distington, best first

Distington Community School

Workington, CA14 5TE · State · Primary · Ages 3 to 11

  • Ofsted:Good

Results well below the England average.

6 first choices, 6 offers made

Met the standard at 119%

England 62%

Days missed
4.7%
Pupils
114
Pupils per teacher
22.8
View school Distington Community School

Top Secondary Schools in Distington

1 mainstream schools in Distington, best first

Energy Coast UTC

Workington, CA14 4JW · UTC · Secondary · Ages 14 to 19

  • Ofsted:Good

Results well below the England average.

Attainment 8 at 1622.5

England 46.2

Days missed
10.3%
Pupils
383
Pupils per teacher
13.8
View school Energy Coast UTC

Nurseries in Distington

1 in Distington, highest Ofsted grade first

Sixth Forms in Distington

2 in Distington, by the school's Eduscope score

Energy Coast UTC

Workington, CA14 4JW · UTC · Secondary · Ages 14 to 19

  • Ofsted:Good

Results well below the England average.

Attainment 8 at 1622.5

England 46.2

Days missed
10.3%
Pupils
383
Pupils per teacher
13.8
View school Energy Coast UTC

Branthwaite Academy

Workington, CA14 4SS · All-through · Ages 4 to 19

  • Ofsted:Requires improvement in 3 areas

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
14.8%
Pupils
74
Pupils per teacher
5.6
View school Branthwaite Academy

Special Schools in Distington

1 in Distington. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Branthwaite Academy

Workington, CA14 4SS · All-through · Ages 4 to 19

  • Ofsted:Requires improvement in 3 areas

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
14.8%
Pupils
74
Pupils per teacher
5.6
View school Branthwaite Academy
The map

Every school in Distington, on one map

Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.

See them as a list
Show
West Cumbria Learning Centre, Expected standard in every areaDistington Community School, GoodEnergy Coast UTC, GoodBranthwaite Academy, Requires improvement in 3 areasPoppies Child Care (Cumbria) Ltd, Good
  • Good3
  • Not graded yet2
Before you apply

Apply through the council where you live

Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.

Postcodes

Browse Distington by postcode

Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.

Distington vs England

How good are Distington's schools?

Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.

Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.

Numbers that sum up Distington

DistingtonEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 1 primaries with one.

    100%

    England 96%

    Close to England

  • Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding

    1 of the 1 with a grade.

    100%

    England 93%

    Above England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    9%

    England 62%

    Below England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    9%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

    Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.

    29%

    England 18%

    Worse than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    43%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 2 schools that have one.

100%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding0
  • Good2
  • Requires improvement0
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

Distington in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap0%40%80%20182019202320242025
9% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap0%20%40%2018201920222023202420252026
9% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%25%50%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
29% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Distington has 5 schools and nurseries.

There are 63% more pupils than in 2018.

43% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Distington's state schools each January.

Up 63% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.

Free school meals

Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.

Distington43%

Dates to know

Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.

  • 31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
  • 15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
  • 1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
  • 16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.

Keep up with schools in Distington

Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.

Questions

Questions parents ask about Distington

How many schools are in Distington?

Distington has 5 schools, including 3 primary schools, 3 secondary schools, 1 nursery, 1 special school. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Distington?

The highest-ranked schools in Distington on Eduscope are Distington Community School, Energy Coast UTC. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.

What percentage of schools in Distington are rated Good or Outstanding?

100% of inspected schools in Distington hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 0 schools rated Outstanding and 2 rated Good.

How do primary schools in Distington perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in Distington, 9% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.

What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Distington?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Distington is 9.7:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.

What is the persistent absence rate in Distington schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Distington is 28.9%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.

How many pupils attend schools in Distington?

There are 621 pupils enrolled across schools in Distington, with 114 in primary and 507 in secondary. 34.0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How do I choose the right school in Distington?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 5 schools in Distington by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.

Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.

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