Cumbria Education Trust

UID 15765·Companies House 07698631·Incorporated July 2011·Compare

Schools

Flags

4 high severity

Finance: 2025/26Ofsted: Mar 2026Performance: 2025/26Workforce: 2026/27Attendance: 2025/26

Total income

£47.9m

6,778 pupils

Avg staff costs

71.4%

of income

Avg reserves

3.1%

of income

Avg absence

More metrics

Avg FSM

30.3%

free school meals

Capacity

75%

6,778 / 9,044 places

Total admin cost

£1.5m

£228 per pupil

Trust overview

1 of 17 schools report staff costs above the DfE's 78% review point. Staffing ratios reflect phase mix, curriculum and local context as much as efficiency.

4 of 17 schools report negative revenue reserves at year-end. A year-end snapshot can reflect planned spend-down, in-trust transfers or timing; the trust's audited accounts give the fuller picture.

Trust-average reserves have fallen about 5 percentage points over two years of published returns.

Absence is at or below the national average in 13 of 17 schools.

All 17 inspected schools meet the expected standard or above — Good or better under the legacy framework, or Expected standard or above under the Report Card.

2 of these inspections used the new Report Card framework; its scale is not directly comparable with legacy grades.

Generated from published DfE and Ofsted data — year-end snapshots that cannot show in-year plans, restructuring or local context. Reference points are DfE review thresholds, not judgements.

At a glance

Trust-wide reserves at 3.3%below 5% threshold15 schools with workforce pressure7 schools with absence above 8%1 school with staff costs above 78%3 schools in deficit

Ofsted & results

Ofsted

100%meeting standard or above

Across 17 graded schools, including 2 under the new Report Card framework. The two frameworks are not directly comparable.

Sub-judgements — earlier framework

Quality of education

100% Good+

Good 13

Behaviour & attitudes

100% Good+

Outst. 3Good 10

Personal development

100% Good+

Outst. 3Good 10

Leadership & management

100% Good+

Good 17

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 4

Attainment 8

44.3

-1.9

vs national

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

61.9%

+0.9pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

AddressCumbria Education Trust, Brampton, CA8 1AR

Companies House07698631

Incorporated8 July 2011

Report Card inspections (new framework)

About these grades

Grade distribution across 2 schoolsinspected under Ofsted's 5-point scale (from November 2025). Not directly comparable with the earlier 1–4 sub-judgements above.

Curriculum & teaching

Expected standard 2

Achievement

Expected standard 2

Inclusion

Strong standard 1Expected standard 1

Attendance & behaviour

Strong standard 2

Growth

Year	Schools	Pupils	Total income	Total expenditure	Avg staff costs %	Avg reserves %
2021/22	17	6,394	£41.7m	£38.4m	70.1%	7.3%
2022/23	17	5,694	£44.9m	£41.6m	71.2%	5.2%
2023/24	17	6,767	£49.6m	£45.4m	69.9%	1.5%
2024/25partial	17	6,778	£47.9m	£42.9m	71.4%	3.1%
2025/26	17	6,632	—	—	—	—

Central services

2024/25

Centralisation

0.9%

of total trust spend

Typical MAT centralisation ranges from 3-7% of total trust spend. Figures below 2% may indicate limited central coordination; above 10% warrants review of value for money.

CS expenditure

£413,000

CS staff costs

£308,000

CS income

£20,000

Admin & clerical£224,000

Teaching staff£52,000

ICT£3,000

Premises£6,000

Legal & professional£69,000

Auditor costs£19,000

Governance

Source: Companies House

Board of trustees

Accounts to Aug 2025

11 current directors · Average tenure: 4.7 years · 3 changes in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (11)

Raymond Maurice Bramwell Olive

director·< 1 year

Sandra Anne Keaveney

director·1 year

Brian James Professor Webster-henderson

director·1 year

William Dr Snaith

director·1 year

Catherine Sarah Reeves

director·1 year

Matthew David Hood

director·2 years

Richard William Berry

director·4 years

Jeffrey Paul O'neill

director·4 years

George David Beveridge

director·7 years

Margaret Payne

director·10 years

Lorrayne Mcbeath Hughes

director·15 years

Company Secretary

Sally-Ann Mcallister

secretary·< 1 year

44 former officers — most recent departure: Dec 2025

Gill Martin

secretary·1 year·Resigned Dec 2025

Philip Michael Cook

director·4 years·Resigned May 2023

Michael Joseph Donnelly

director·5 years·Resigned Mar 2025

Robert Professor Trimble

director·5 years·Resigned Dec 2023

Deborah Margaret Shaw

director·5 years·Resigned Jul 2024

Jane Fiona Routledge

Member schools (17)

17 schools|17 with risk flags|4 high severity

School	URN	Phase	Risk flags
Caldew Lea School	147114	Primary	workforce pressure
Castle Carrock School	137653	Primary	workforce pressure
Castle Park School	142693	Primary	high staff costsin year deficitworkforce pressure
Hensingham Primary School	147597	Primary	workforce pressure
Kirkby Stephen Grammar School	137107	Secondary	in year deficitworkforce pressure
Longtown Primary School	143116	Primary	workforce pressure
Newtown Primary School	148137	Primary	workforce pressurehigh absence
Northside Primary School	143536	Primary	workforce pressure
Petteril Bank School	149410	Primary	workforce pressurehigh absence
Stramongate Primary School	137962	Primary	in year deficit
Tebay Primary School	145137	Primary	high absenceworkforce pressure
The Queen Katherine School	136526	Secondary	high absenceworkforce pressure
The Whitehaven Academy	146634	Secondary	workforce pressurehigh absence
William Howard School	137252	Secondary	high absenceworkforce pressure
Workington Academy	141499	Secondary	high absence
Yanwath Primary School	145138	Primary	workforce pressure
Yewdale School	141995	Primary	workforce pressure

Caldew Lea SchoolPrimary

workforce pressure

Castle Carrock SchoolPrimary

workforce pressure

Castle Park SchoolPrimary

high staff costsin year deficitworkforce pressure

Hensingham Primary SchoolPrimary

workforce pressure

Kirkby Stephen Grammar SchoolSecondary

in year deficitworkforce pressure

Longtown Primary SchoolPrimary

workforce pressure

Newtown Primary SchoolPrimary

workforce pressurehigh absence

Northside Primary SchoolPrimary

workforce pressure

Petteril Bank SchoolPrimary

workforce pressurehigh absence

Stramongate Primary SchoolPrimary

in year deficit

Tebay Primary SchoolPrimary

high absenceworkforce pressure

The Queen Katherine SchoolSecondary

high absenceworkforce pressure

The Whitehaven AcademySecondary

workforce pressurehigh absence

William Howard SchoolSecondary

high absenceworkforce pressure

Workington AcademySecondary

high absence

Yanwath Primary SchoolPrimary

workforce pressure

Yewdale SchoolPrimary

workforce pressure

Personal development

Leadership

Strong standard 1Expected standard 1

Neil Thomas Crewdson

director·6 years·Resigned Nov 2021

Andrew Charles Johnson

director·6 years·Resigned Oct 2023

Nick Polmear

secretary·6 years·Resigned Aug 2024

James Pedlingham

secretary·8 years·Resigned Oct 2019

Stephen Phillip Holliday

director·8 years·Resigned Sept 2020

Kathryn Rose Woolgar

director·8 years·Resigned Jun 2020

Chris Sutcliffe

director·9 years·Resigned Jul 2021

Deborah Matthews

secretary·9 years·Resigned Apr 2018

Deborah Anne Francis

director·9 years·Resigned Aug 2019

Clifford Ronald Lewis

director·9 years·Resigned Apr 2020

Michael Ian Burke

director·9 years·Resigned Jul 2021

Maria Graham

secretary·9 years·Resigned May 2017

Andrew Douglas Haddon

secretary·9 years·Resigned Oct 2016

Domenic Volpe

director·10 years·Resigned Sept 2015

Jonathan Logan

director·10 years·Resigned May 2016

Sheila Frances Goodliffe

director·10 years·Resigned Oct 2017

Joyce Ann Keetley

director·10 years·Resigned Sept 2017

Rob Lakin

director·10 years·Resigned May 2016

Christopher Paul Irving

director·10 years·Resigned Sept 2017

Catherine Jane Mottram

director·11 years·Resigned Dec 2016

Martin Francis Simpson

director·11 years·Resigned Jul 2017

Michael Philip Lawler

secretary·11 years·Resigned Oct 2016

Deborah Louise Edwards

secretary·13 years·Resigned Oct 2014

Corinna Mrs. Cartwright

director·13 years·Resigned Jun 2015

Margaret Payne

director·13 years·Resigned Jun 2015

Karen Mcallister